A Thread for the Mueller Investigation Results and Outcomes (Part 1)

[ThelmaLou]

Okay. I admit it. I’m in love with this man.

Robert Mueller is the most unknowableman in Washington
Some choice excerpts below. But if you can read the whole thing, it might restore your faith in humanity. My favorite parts are underlined.

Mueller. Mueller. Mueller. Mueller. Mueller. Mueller. Everywhere, at any hour, it’s Mueller time.

Special counsel Robert Swan Mueller III is the second-most famous man in Washington. Time Magazine just ranked him No. 3 on their Person of the Year list, after crusading journalists and President Trump. It is impossible to spend a day in this town without hearing or reading Mueller’s name. He will go down in history, for better or worse, as one of the pivotal figures of the Trump era.

All this for a man who seldom speaks and is rarely seen. He is omnipresent and absent, inescapable but elusive, the invisible yang to Trump’s gold-plated yin.
…

Such is the peculiar nature of Washington that a powerful man who shuns the spotlight should become an object of fascination, and the specific character of Mueller — an old-school WASP indifferent to entreaties for speeches, interviews and photo-ops. More people have seen Robert De Niro playing Mueller on “Saturday Night Live” than have seen the special counsel himself. “I always joke that Bob Mueller has turned down more interview requests in his career than most people in Washington ever get in the first place,” says Garrett Graff, author of “The Threat Matrix: Inside Robert Mueller’s FBI and the War on Global Terror” and Mueller’s de facto biographer. “Contrary to every single thing that the president tweets today, Mueller is and always has been probably the most apolitical nonpartisan person in the city. He does everything that he can to avoid the public spotlight and anything even slightly resembling politicking.”
…

Mueller’s only public statement as special counsel came on May 17, 2017, the day he was appointed: “I accept this responsibility and will discharge it to the best of my ability.”
…

He grew up in Princeton, a childhood of privilege and private boarding schools, where self-aggrandizement and promotion were considered poor form.* His stints as a Marine platoon leader during the Vietnam War and as a federal prosecutor emphasized teamwork rather than any individual effort. During his 12-year tenure as head of the FBI, he rarely appeared at public events and turned down virtually all the A-list invitations that came with that title.

During his trip to the Capitol to brief Congress in June 2017 — one month after becoming special counsel — Mueller and his team navigated back hallways and stairwells to avoid the media. There have been only three widely circulated sightings in the wild since then…
…

By now, it goes without saying that Mueller and his prosecutors run the tightest ship in Washington. No interviews, no leaks, no whispers, no jokes, no nuthin’. In August, members of his team were spotted by the press waiting for a Shake Shack delivery at an Alexandria hotel during Paul Manafort’s trial. Shake Shack, huh? joked a reporter. Peter Carr, Mueller’s spokesman, would not even confirm the order.
…

Even the press has been unwilling to cross Mueller’s invisible line. Salt Lake Tribune reporter Thomas Burr tweeted that he saw Mueller in June: “Gotta love DC. Walk into restaurant, run into the special counsel.” But Burr declined to say which restaurant, despite a flurry of responses to the tweet.
…

Integrity. Principles. Self-control. Mutual loyalty with staff. <swoon> This is a Real Man. And he is in every way the Anti-Trump.

• IOW, an authentic silver-spoon upbringing.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@ThelmaLou

…Integrity. Principles. Self-control. Mutual loyalty with staff. <swoon> This is a Real Man. And he is in every way the Anti-Trump…

Matter, antimatter.
Trump, Mueller.
President, Special Counsel.
Defendant, prosecutor.
Felon, hero.

[jsc1953]

@WaPo

He grew up in Princeton, a childhood of privilege and private boarding schools, where self-aggrandizement and promotion were considered poor form.

Interesting; this is exactly how G.H.W. Bush was recently eulogized. Maybe…just maybe…if we see enough examples of good behavior around us, it might start to catch on.

[enipla]

@jsc1953

Interesting; this is exactly how G.H.W. Bush was recently eulogized. Maybe…just maybe…if we see enough examples of good behavior around us, it might start to catch on.

Trumps fat ass seems to be blocking the light.

[JohnT]

All thousand points of it!

[dasmoocher]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Matter, antimatter.
Trump, Mueller.
President, Special Counsel.
Defendant, prosecutor.
Felon, hero.

The article mentions that the job that Mueller considers the hardest in his life was as a Marine in Vietnam, so add:

Multiple draft dodger, decorated combat platoon leader

[Guest-starring_Id]

From the WTF? Dept., just because Bloomberg online is trying to be balanced by allowing dissenting oped pieces doesn’t mean they can print outright lunacy like this and expect to get away without a major ding to their credibility.
Seriously Bloomberg - a fucking apology to Flynn?
Wh’a?

[Rick_Kitchen]

@Ann_Hedonia

Apparently the talking heads at Faux News were totally convinced that Judge Emmett Sullivan was going to smack down the prosecution, vacate the guilty plea and set Flynn free yesterday. Instead of what really happened.

Morning Joe put together a video montage of Tucker, Hannity and Jeanine making those predictions. It’s hysterical.

Morning Joe Mocks Fox News For Predictions About Flynn Judge

Yesterday on MSNBC, Nicole Wallace offered Fox $500 if they would re-air the Pirro clip.

[Steve_MB]

@Rick_Kitchen

Yesterday on MSNBC, Nicole Wallace offered Fox $500 if they would re-air the Pirro clip.

I’d match that contribution if they re-air it during Pirro’s show.

[dropzone]

@jsc1953

Interesting; this is exactly how G.H.W. Bush was recently eulogized. Maybe…just maybe…if we see enough examples of good behavior around us, it might start to catch on.

Not with the MAGA crowd. “Rich, East Coast elites think they’re better than us? Me and Cletus will show them!”

Remember when being elite, but not snobby about it, was a good thing?

[ThelmaLou]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Matter, antimatter.
Trump, Mueller.
President, Special Counsel.
Defendant, prosecutor.
Felon, hero.

Maybe if Mueller and thump could just shake hands, thump would disappear in a cloud of sweat, fat cells, and fake hair.

[enipla]

@ThelmaLou

Maybe if Mueller and thump could just shake hands, thump would disappear in a cloud of sweat, fat cells, and fake hair.

I’m sure Mueller saw some nasty stuff in 'Nam, but asking him to shake trumps hand goes beyond the call of duty.

[ThelmaLou]

@enipla

I’m sure Mueller saw some nasty stuff in 'Nam, but asking him to shake trumps hand goes beyond the call of duty.

You’re right, of course. But I would pay a lot to see thump try to “win” a handshake with Mueller and be brought to his knees in tears.

[kaylasdad99]

@Elendil_s_Heir

Matter, antimatter.
Trump, Mueller.
President, Special Counsel.
Defendant, prosecutor.
Felon, hero.

@ThelmaLou

Maybe if Mueller and thump could just shake hands, thump would disappear in a cloud of sweat, fat cells, and fake hair.

@enipla

I’m sure Mueller saw some nasty stuff in 'Nam, but asking him to shake trumps hand goes beyond the call of duty.

Not to mention that the annihilation tends to be mutual.

And then who would bring down Pence?

ETA:

@ThelmaLou

You’re right, of course. But I would pay a lot to see thump try to “win” a handshake with Mueller and be brought to his knees in tears.

Oh, that.

Okay, that would be fun to watch.

[Defensive_Indifference]

From The Washington Post:

Special counsel Robert S. Mueller III asked the House Intelligence Committee on Friday for an official transcript of Trump adviser Roger Stone’s testimony, according to people familiar with the request, a sign that prosecutors could be moving to charge him with a crime.

According to prosecutors interviewed for the story, Mueller has had unofficial transcripts of Stone’s testimony before the Intel Committee for a while. But, if Mueller is planning to take a “lying to Congress” charge to a grand jury, he would need to present the certified copy of the testimony. I suppose there may be other reasons why Mueller is asking for the clean copy, but this one is the one I like best.

“That suggests prosecutors are getting ready to bring a charge,” said former federal prosecutor Glenn Kirschner. “Prosecutors can’t bring a charge without an original certified copy of the transcript that shows the witness lied.”

The Intel Committee is holding a meeting Thursday to decide whether or not to give Mueller the transcript. With Nunes on the way out and Schiff on the way in, even if they do refuse Mueller’s request this time, it would seem likely that Mueller would get the transcript after the first of the year.

“I believe that there’s ample reason to be concerned about his truthfulness, “ Schiff said Sunday on NBC News’s “Meet the Press.” “And I do think that with respect to Mr. Stone, and perhaps others, the special counsel is in a better position to determine the truth or falsity of that testimony, and that we ought to provide it to the special counsel.”

[ThelmaLou]

@Defensive_Indifference

From The Washington Post:

According to prosecutors interviewed for the story, Mueller has had unofficial transcripts of Stone’s testimony before the Intel Committee for a while. But, if Mueller is planning to take a “lying to Congress” charge to a grand jury, he would need to present the certified copy of the testimony. I suppose there may be other reasons why Mueller is asking for the clean copy, but this one is the one I like best.
The Intel Committee is holding a meeting Thursday to decide whether or not to give Mueller the transcript. With Nunes on the way out and Schiff on the way in, even if they do refuse Mueller’s request this time, it would seem likely that Mueller would get the transcript after the first of the year.

On what grounds can the committee refuse to give Mueller the transcript? Is “we just don’t fucking feel like it” enough?

[Defensive_Indifference]

@ThelmaLou

On what grounds can the committee refuse to give Mueller the transcript? Is “we just don’t fucking feel like it” enough?

I believe in the past, Nunes has cited the “Neener neener! I’m the Chairman and you’re not!” rule.

[friedo]

@ThelmaLou

On what grounds can the committee refuse to give Mueller the transcript? Is “we just don’t fucking feel like it” enough?

On the same grounds that you or I could refuse to give Mueller evidence. 'We don’t want to" is sufficient justification.

Mueller could subpoena it if he wants it bad enough. Or just wait until the leadership changes in January.

[Sherrerd]

@friedo

On the same grounds that you or I could refuse to give Mueller evidence. 'We don’t want to" is sufficient justification.

Mueller could subpoena it if he wants it bad enough. Or just wait until the leadership changes in January.

We’re talking two weeks.

So that’s probably how it will go. Meanwhile, Nunes will get another “I obstructed justice” brownie point to add to his collection.

[Elendil_s_Heir]

@Sherrerd

…Meanwhile, Nunes will get another “I obstructed justice” brownie point to add to his collection.

He’s gonna have to build an addition to his house.