Perhaps better wording might be: “Besides DOJ policy as quoted (etc.), what were reasons that you did not move to charge?”
'Course, he might simply say that the DOJ policy made consideration of other factors moot, so he didn’t.
That’s exactly what he’s going to say and about all he’s going to say.
Any question like, “Would you have charged Trump if not for the DOJ policy?” will be answered with some form of, “Because of the DOJ I did not and will not consider such a hypothetical.”
He’s not going to say he would have charged him, but he also sure as fuck isn’t going to say there was insufficient evidence. Insufficient evidence is Shodan’s favorite bedtime story, not anything to do with the Mueller report or reality in general.
I expect two things to come of Mueller’s testimony, Jack and Shit. I have formed these expectations after careful consideration of Mueller’s performance to date. I will leave it to Mueller to prove me wrong, which I don’t expect.
I was going with Squat, myself.
Now, if the Dems could be smart and have the questioner be an actual expert in something (an expert prosecutor, an expert on espionage, something) as opposed to wanting to each grandstand for the cameras, I would raise my Squat to “Probably Nothing”.
But they won’t, so I won’t.
Mueller is old news. Even if he says something eye-catching, it won’t matter because it just hasn’t captured the average American’s attention, and it never will.
I very much missed it, thanks! I’m not a twitterer.
I have a gut feeling that Mueller’s request to have another person there with him is going to result in delaying his testimony. Again. Not sure why or how, but that was my first reaction when I read that today.
I had that thought, too. We’re all cynical, these days, and it’s usually justified.
It would be a flimsy pretext, though, if the DoJ tried to say ‘you can’t have an aide sit next to you’----it’s fairly standard practice. (And all the stories I’m seeing at this hour indicate that it’s going to happen.)
I’m pleasantly surprised.
**Key Aide Will Appear Alongside Mueller During Hearings **
It’s just so weird that the side that says this report exonerated the president seems to want to hide it. I would think they would want it out there.
If Trump enablers advocated for something that made logical sense, Trump supporters’ heads would implode.
Mueller: “I’ve been instructed not to comment on that.”
Congressman: “Mr. Zebley, if Mr. Mueller could comment, would he be using the phrase ‘guilty as hell’?”
Well, Barr did say Mueller could have reached a conclusion.
So maybe Mueller should do so.
It looks like the testimony is live, is anybody watching? (I’m at work.)
ETA: I see there’s a follow along thread in Elections.
I heard Muellers opening statement on the radio. He mentioned the Russians that where indicted but NOTHING about how many of Trumps team where. Not looking good.
Hope this clear things up for you Shodan.
Lieu: “The reason you did not indict Donald Trump… is because of the OLC decision. Is that correct?”
Mueller: “That is correct.”
Also:
Rep. Buck: You believe the President of the United States could be charged with obstruction of justice after he left office?
Mueller: Yes.
Lesko is kinda losing it. I don’t think she was anywhere prepared to rebut the admission Lieu just got from Mueller.
(Sorry, thought this was the commentary thread.)
Full exchange that I posted earlier without the ellipses.
LIEU: “To recap what we’ve heard, we have heard today that the president ordered former White House counsel Don McGahn to fire you. The president ordered Don McGahn to then cover that up and create a false paper trail, and now we’ve heard the president ordered Corey Lewandowski to tell Jeff Sessions to limit your investigation so that he – you stop investigating the president. I believe a reasonable person looking at these facts could conclude that all three elements of the crime of obstruction of justice have been met, and I would like to ask you the reason again that you did not indict Donald Trump is because of OLC opinion stating that you cannot indict a sitting president, correct?”
MUELLER: “That is correct.”