Tag Archives: #Mueller

Politics

Enough of Trump?

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My March 7 predictions didn’t pan out as well as my previous ones.

We won’t have the Barr/Mueller report until Thursday–heavily redacted by Trump’s Roy Cohn. I’ll wait a bit for the dust to settle but as of now, it appears I blew these:

Sealed indictments, along with the Mueller report, of:
  • Donald Trump, Jr.
  • Jared Kushner
  • Trump himself
  • Probably Steve Bannon
  • Possibly Ivanka

Those sealed indictments are NOT happening, according to Barr. Reportedly, they were not requested or filed by Mueller. Why NOT?  

All have lied to Congress and most to investigators. Could have charged them with that. Why NOT?  Did Mueller chill? Afraid of blowback from Trump?

OK, enough Mueller bashing–for now, see let the dust settle comment above.

Trump, his sycophant posse, the news media, et al ALL seem confused by the alleged finding by Mueller of no conspiracy. FEW distinguish this from Trump’s refrain of NO Collusion. WRONG!

The alleged finding, per Barr, is that Mueller found no evidence of conspiracy between the members of the Trump campaign and the Russians. Explicated, this means Mueller supposedly found insufficient evidence to support a criminal conviction. Therefore, no indictment of anyone. Criminal conspiracy, however, is NOT synonymous with collusion. Hence, a finding of NO conspiracy does NOT mean NO collusion.

Did Trump family members and campaign staff/officials meet with Russians? YES. Did they accept or welcome help from them? YES. Did they offer sanctions relief? YES. Did they lie about those meetings (import, purpose, etc.)? YES. Did they call, text or otherwise communicate with them about all of this? YES.

It DOES matter if a political candidate welcomes and accepts help from an adversarial foreign power in his or her campaign. It matters if they are elected and try to work on their behalf.

It matters if a counterintelligence campaign is launched into that candidate and his/her campaign. THAT part of the investigation may not be in the Mueller report. America NEEDS TO KNOW the results. 

I had a waking dream this morning as I lay in bed half asleep before rising. Wishful thinking perhaps. Trump had died of a massive stroke during the night. It didn’t happen. The facts are that he has put on weight since silly Ronnie Jackson’s first medical exam. He gets too little sleep (five hours maybe). He drinks more than a dozen diet sodas (caffeinated). His golfing exercise consists of getting out of the golf cart to swing the club and riding to the next hole (including driving onto the green). He gets no other exercise besides ranting. So his supposed good health is a myth by sycophantic medical personnel. A stroke or a cardiac event could well happen before the next election or even this year. Karma will get him–sooner or later.

Which also means, Trump may still resign–if the fecal matter hits the fan this spring or summer. 

For the after the dust settles post, perhaps the new hashtag will be #ImpeachBarr.

America's Future, Politics

Impeachment, Indictment or Resignation–How Will It End?

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No, I Didn’t Forget about Trump

Some folks have said I should be on TV as a political pundit. Not happening. But I did get a lot of predictions right last year.  Let’s recap those [see notes for what I got right] and add some new ones:

March 19, 2018–almost a year ago, I predicted these indictments:
  • Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear  and Guccifer 2.0 (Russian hackers; Mueller indicted a bunch of them on July 13, 2018)
  • Wikileaks and Julian Assange (mistaken filing by prosecutor shows Assange has a sealed indictment pending)
  • Cambridge Analytica and possibly Brad Parscale (not yet, but I still expect it)
  • Roger Stone–yes!, finally
In August, 2018, I reiterated those predictions and considered adding Steve Bannon to the Cambridge Analytica indictment PLUS, predicted these winners:
  • Trump will never sit down with Mueller (he did submit written responses to questions–all the better to trap him)
  • Manafort will be convicted in his first trial and plead guilty in the second—whoa, did I nail this one!
  • The Democrats would have a massive victory in November, taking control of the house—YUP, nailed that
  • Mueller will NEVER issue a subpoena to Trump
  • The report will come out after the midterms (coming soon)
  • Trump may be named an unindicted co-conspirator (stay tuned and see below)
  • Trump will be unable to tolerate the investigations that will ensue in the House–“which will undoubtedly include examination of his personal and business tax returns”

A mistaken prediction:

  • Indictments of Americans will come in September–didn’t happen, but plenty already have been
    • Flynn
    • Gates
    • Papadopoulos
    • And more
In that August 19 post from last year, I noted that it would be 45 years since Nixon’s resignation on that date in 2019. A good commemorative  anniversary for Trump to pick as his day to go. Could still happen. But here’s my current assessment.
  • Sealed indictments, along with the Mueller report, of:
    • Donald Trump, Jr.
    • Jared Kushner
    • Trump himself
    • Probably Steve Bannon
    • Possibly Ivanka
  • More indictments from SDNY–stay tuned for predictions on those.
One more recap before the grand finale (for now) from way back in May, 2018.

Eventually, RICO charges will be filed against the Trump Organization–with the bulk of its assets seized by the US Government and the entity dissolved (this will take several years at a minimum)

Note that there is lots of discussion happening about RICO on the cable news channels. Just Google it.

So what’s next?
  • More hearings in the Democratic controlled House will drive Trump crazy–could have a stroke or gain ten more pounds anyway
  • SDNY could try to indict Trump this year (against OLC policy)
  • Shirt with Mueller in sunglasses and message "its Mueller Time"New York State will go after Trump big time
  • The Mueller Report
  • Trump may try to pardon the Trump Organization but may throw Don, Jr. under the bus if it’s either him or Jr. on the hook
  • Trump will NOT be in office for the 2020 election–I’ll handicap that in another post.
America's Future

The Bewitching Hour Approaches the White House

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A Blue Wave Comes in January–Mueller Too?

The Democrats have won 40 House Seats in the next Congress–meaning they will have a 235 to 200 majority. It won’t be pretty for Trump. Investigations will ensue. Agency heads, cabinet officials and others will be called to testify. All those people who weren’t subpoenaed by Devin Numbnuts (Trump co-conspirator and chair of the House Intelligence Committee) or were allowed to not answer pertinent questions will have to answer in the Democratically controlled House.

But what of Mueller? Will more indictments come from Mueller in December? More in January? A report to Congress? Yes, it could all happen. On Friday comes the sentencing memo for double-flipper Manafort. The prevailing opinion is that this will be a public document detailing all of Manafort’s misdeeds.  Meanwhile, Trump is once again publicly adding fuel to obstruction fire–all but admitting that he has dangled a pardon for Manafort in exchange for info on what Mueller is up to.

But is all the chagrin and worries advanced about the duplicitous behavior of Manafort, his lawyers and Trump’s half-assed legal team (calling them JV would be overstating their legal acumen) warranted? How much would Mueller’s team have let Manafort in on during their hours together? Not much, in my opinion. As tight-lipped as the Mueller team has been with news media, Congress and everybody else, why the hell would Manafort be trusted with intimate details of what others had testified to–or what evidence Mueller had???

Continue reading The Bewitching Hour Approaches the White House →

America's Future, Politics

Brett Kavanaugh Confirmation Hearings

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Brett Kavanaugh Withdraws His Nomination to US Supreme Court

WHAT?  Impossible you say! Well, stranger things have happened. Read on to see why it could happen.

Confirmation hearings begin today. Will any Republicans oppose him for fear of his taking any opportunity to overturn Roe v. Wade? Will any vulnerable Democrats  up for reelection in November support him for fear of losing their office?

Basically, the question is can anyone stop this runaway train to another appointment by the Treasonous Trump. Here’s another option–let’s all encourage Kavanaugh to withdraw his nomination.

Why would anyone, given the chance to be a Justice of the Supreme Court, abandon that opportunity? Most often, it comes from some discovered scandal heretofore unknown–a scandal that likely dooms the candidate. Put that aside, that’s not the gist of my argument. 

Trump, our so-called President, is currently a subject of a criminal investigation–an investigation that will demonstrate that he  won election through felonious means. It’s highly likely that Trump will be impeached within a few months after Kavanaugh’s confirmation hearings. Whether convicted in the Senate or not, unless pardoned by Vice-President Pence, Trump will likely be convicted of crimes that will put him behind bars. 

Kavanaugh, if confirmed, will be remembered  as the Justice appointed by an impeached and imprisoned President. If I were Kavanaugh, I’d get out now, before any votes on his nomination are taken.

Richard Nixon, he of Watergate infamy, appointed FOUR people to the Supreme Court–including Chief Justice Warren Burger. None, however, were appointed after the Watergate scandal.  So those Nixon appointees never faced the sort of guilt by association that Kavanaugh could.

NOTE: Stay tuned for more indictments from Special Counsel Robert Mueller–coming soon to your favorite news source.

America's Future, Legal, Politics

Nixon Resigns on this day, 1974–Trump Next Year?

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Thanks to a reminder on cable news last night, I realized that an anniversary had arrived–Nixon formally tendered his resignation at noon on the 9th of August, 1974. Facing certain impeachment (and a conviction in the Senate) he had no other choice.

I still have copies of the complete coverage by the Washington Post that day. I watched the news from the student lounge at GULC, early in my first year of law school. A school where Sam Dash, Chief Counsel of the Watergate Committee, served as an adjunct professor. I cheered at the coverage and scoffed at then prominent newsman John Chancellor’s pronouncement of the sad day for America and that no one was celebrating at this departure. How wrong an assessment! I wasn’t the only one rejoicing.

So many cabinet officials, so many staff and even his first Vice-President went to jail. Spiro Agnew was simply a grifter, like “all the best people criminals“  hired by or appointed to the Trump administration. Nixon himself avoided jail, pardoned by his second Vice-President–Gerald Ford. That act assured that Ford would NOT be reelected after assuming office.

My prediction: many more members of the Trump administration will wind up behind bars than did those who worked for Nixon. But that’s a story for another day.

Here’s the scenario for Trump’s exit next year, based on my assessment of what will come of the Mueller investigation:

  • Indictments of Americans will come early in September for conspiracy and criminal acts associated with the Russian interference in the 2016 election (see my predictions about that earlier this year; I’m thinking of adding Bannon for his leadership at Cambridge Analytica and confirming Brad Parscale–NO family members or in-laws in September)
  • HOWEVER, Mueller will not issue a final report with recommendations to Congress in September or October mentioning Trump
  • Trump will NEVER sit down with Mueller voluntarily, NOR will Mueller issue a subpoena to Trump before the midterm elections (more below) ordering Trump’s appearance in front of the grand jury
  • Manafort will be convicted in his first trial, will plead guilty in the second one (scheduled for September) based on Trump’s promised (out of fear, not loyalty) pardon
  • The Democrats will take control of the House with a massive mandate in the midterms–the Senate is a possibility, but not highly likely
  • Depending on Trump’s actions, reactions and tweets after the indictments and the midterms, Mueller may issue a subpoena to Trump in mid-January–as the next Congress is seated
  • More likely, Mueller will NEVER issue a subpoena to Trump because Mueller gave Trump ample opportunity to appear voluntarily AND Mueller already has everything he needs for both conspiracy and obstruction without hearing from Trump
  • Not only that, but Trump will have become a target, not a subject of the investigation–meaning he shouldn’t appear before the grand jury
  • Mueller’s final report with recommendations will be issued after the midterms–I believe (perhaps hope is more accurate) this will be in mid-January, after the next Congress takes office
  • Mueller’s final actions will include additional indictments, naming Trump as an unindicted co-conspirator; he will cite Trump as having obstructed the investigation and participated in conspiring with the Russians
  • With no Russo-Publicans left to protect him in the House,Trump will be unable to tolerate the investigations which will ensue–investigations in the House (whether articles of impeachment are voted or not) which will undoubtedly include examination of his personal and business tax returns 
  •  He will resign by the summer of 2019–perhaps 45 years to the day, from Nixon’s resignation

 

 

America's Future, Politics

Is It Mueller Time Yet?

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If not now, when! Well, it might take some more indictments. We can hope and pray that the conspiracy (NOT collusion, for non-lawyers) counts are forthcoming by September–avoiding the midterm hiatus.

Meanwhile, at one and the same time,  these TWO things happened.

  1. Trump says AG Sessions should end the probe
  2. His attorneys say Trump is still considering sitting down with Mueller for a Q & A

Seems a little dissonant, doesn’t it? Well, what else should we expect from Trumpworld. Here’s the tweet, from Wednesday, August 1, that you’ve all seen, or heard unless you live off the grid.

This is a terrible situation and Attorney General Jeff Sessions should stop this Rigged Witch Hunt right now, before it continues to stain our country any further. Bob Mueller is totally conflicted, and his 17 Angry Democrats that are doing his dirty work are a disgrace to USA!

Various media reports attribute the tweet to receipt of Mueller’s recent offer to provide some written questions in advance of the live interview and a reduced number of questions in the latter. However, obstruction of justice would still be part of the meeting. Not good, says Rudy, No-No.

The second item comes from the NY Times, very close in time to the Mueller offer and Trump’s tweet. I, for one, usually assume the New York Times reporters know of what they speak. One might be forgiven for doubting their report—but from what we know about Trump’s ego and (very mistaken belief) that he is a great dealmaker, they are likely quite correct.

Mr. Trump has told advisers he is eager to meet with investigators to clear himself of wrongdoing, the people said. In effect, he believes he can convince the investigators for the special counsel, Robert S. Mueller III, of his belief that their own inquiry is a “witch hunt.”  See the full Times story here.

Seriously? Trump is going to win over Mueller?

Of course, Trump IS narcissistic and delusional. He also  has this transitory memory about his own opinions–moment by moment. Remember when the sexist perspective about the changeability of women’s minds? Well, one might be excused from thinking that Trump must have some gender dysphoria (if the sexist perspective were true, instead of simply a male bias LOL).

Speaking of his “attorneys,” Giuliani is working for free—well, you get what you paid for the saying goes; Jay Sekulow may be a small step up in legal acumen from Michael Cohen (who graduated from Cooley Law School? , while Sekulow graduated from Mercer University, tied for 128th law school in the US, behind such big name universities as Mississippi, Idaho, Louisville, Montana, etc.)

But back to Mueller time. Fear and loathing are growing in the White House as trials, blowback from his behavior, bad economic moves and general incompetence is constantly reported on by all but Trump TV (AKA Fox News). Like what? Oh, you know, don’t you?

  • Blowing up the Iran deal because it was so bad and then saying he was available for a meeting with Iran’s President Rouhani—with no preconditions (of course, because HE could strike a better deal. LOLLLLLLLLL!
  • Meeting with North Korea’s Kim Jong Un one on one AFTER blowing up the Iran deal—which famously led to Trump’s announcement that North Korea no longer posed a nuclear threat (except satellite photos show they are still working on their ICBMs)
  • Meeting with his boss, Vladimir Putin (one on one) for two hours or more and virtually genuflecting by words) to Putin (at the subsequent Helsinki press conference
  • The tariffs he has imposed are already costing jobs and substantial lost revenues to American workers and companies—but then Trump doesn’t really understand economics or international trade (too bad his daughter is Ivanka and not Clarissa)
  • Michael Cohen may spill the beans that Trump not only knew about but approved the June 2016 meeting with the Russians (can you say conspiracy?)
  • The zero tolerance policy that Americans and the world regard as extraordinarily cruel and barbaric
  • The Manafort trial–NO COLLUSION! Says Trump—of course not, this is the tax evasion and bank fraud case (all Rick Gates fault, Manafort lawyer’s opening says—what, Gates filed Manafort’s taxes, bought all those suits and the ostrich jacket for his boss, opened all those bank accounts in Cyprus in Manafort’s name? Seriously?)
  • That’s just SOME of the recent stuff—Mueller IS closing in and Trump is FREAKY FRAID!

So, which will come first—Mueller’s report recommending impeachment or the Ultimate Trump Tantrum? What might that be, you ask. Well, I’ll save that satirical prognostication for another post. Feel free to offer YOUR guesses. With Trump, anything may be possible—mooning America from the White House balcony, perhaps, as his end draws near. Yes, pun intended. Don’t expect Trump to go out smiling with the two handed victory wave from Marine One like Nixon did.

America's Future, Politics

Kafka, Zappa, Orwell, Vonnegut–what would they all say about Trump?

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What we need is a latter-day Dali to paint Trump in his alternate universe. A picture, after all, is worth a thousand words. The surrealist image of Comrade Trump could suffice.

He has gone more bonkers than ever before after the Helsinki debacle and resulting backlash.  Forget the deplorables meme, it’s only ignorables that continue to deny Trump is Putin’s Puppet after his sycophancy in Finland.

What did he and his boss agree to? No one knows–probably not Trump himself. Only his gut, perhaps–which is easily confused,  overfilled as it is with burgers, fries and KFC washed down with multiple diet sodas.

Did Putin decline that September White House visit? Or did Trump really listen to Ryan and McConnell–who likely told him they’d like not to have this lead-in to the midterms.

“Bonkers” Bolton says the event is off until after the Mueller “Witch Hunt” is over.  Pence probably won’t want to entertain Putin, do you think?

Putin said he DID favor Trump in the 2016 election and he DID direct staff to help that happen. With all the indictments of Russians corroborating that–the Witch Hunt epithet gets crazier every time a Trump or his flunkies say it.

After introducing the bill to impeach Rod Rosenstein, Jim Jordan says he wants to run for Speaker of the House. That hardly seems a likely outcome–unless they have one in the Duma. Especially if Putin is directing his people to work to get Democrats elected in the midterm. Wow–no more reality TV shows; Trump should shoot for a late night comedy gig after he’s thrown out of office.

Meanwhile, what should we call the “Freedom Caucus”? The Commie Caucus? The Russo-Publican Caucus?  The Emperor Trump Caucus?  Jordan will just have to wrestle with that–perhaps in the House locker room, eh?

A little bit late, Ivanka is folding her fashion tent so she can focus on her work in the White House. Seriously–ROFLLLLLLLLLL.

Melania says, through her spokesperson, she will watch whatever channel she wants (after hubby complained about her watching CNN on Air Force One).

Edvard Munch’s The Scream might capture the agony of parent’s and children separated by Trump’s “Zero Tolerance Policy”–which would be better termed a “Zero Humanity Policy.”

More fun next week, as Manafort’s first trial starts. Maybe more Michael Cohen tapes too. Could he have a copy of that Moscow hotel room tape? Only Putin knows for sure–and he’s not talking until Trump starts misbehaving.

Politics

The White House Warlocks Are Worried

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The “Witch Hunt” is getting too close for comfort. Will investigators find the remodeled and expanded broom closet?

Will the true name of the Coven Caucus  (publicly known as the Freedom Caucus) be revealed?

What of the Politburo Caucus?

Given Trump’s spelling challenges, did he confuse a Nobel Peace Prize with a Piece Prize?

What about those 49 questions that nonsecular Sekulow came up with from the meeting with Mueller’s team? How about this paraphrase of a popular Stephen Stills song:

Forty-nine answers, all in a row

All of them fake ones, all of them lies

OK, enough funny business, let’s get serious with some synopses of the whole Trump miasma (the short version). Bullet points with indents, based on early campaign analyses up through the present and on to the future predictions of potential outcomes.

  • Trump never expected (or really wanted) to be President
    • He expected to make money up the wazoo from the enhanced visibility
    • He especially wanted to expand business in Russia
    • He hoped for a new TV gig too
    • When he unexpectedly won, he didn’t know WTF to do or who to hire or appoint to positions he knew nothing about–so America wound up with idiots, incompetents, criminals and all of the above
  • Putin (Russia) really wanted to disrupt the American democratic polity
    • Putin hated Hillary and really wanted to harm her–whether she got elected or not
    • Putin pegged Trump as a useful idiot for Putin’s plans
    • Once Trump got the nomination, Putin got serious and offered help through social media, the Wikileaks releases, etc.
  • Trump, his family and friends eagerly accepted (if not actively sought out) the help Putin could offer
    • “Back-channels”   via Kushner, Erik Prince, et al
    • Roger Stone and Assange, etc.
    • Meetings, meetings and more meetings
  • Mueller’s team leaks nothing but the White House and the Congress leaks continually. As Fox Mulder would say, “the truth is out there”
    • The truth, as evidenced by the leaks, is that the Trump campaign and later the administration, regularly conspire(d) with Russian actors to affect the election and to cover it up
    • The truth is that countless Trump family members and associates are guilty of acts that might border on treason
  • Formerly “rule of law,” “law and order,” and pro law enforcement “Republic Party” (see Democrat party epithet) members are now sycophantically attacked the FBI, Justice Department, et al on behalf of Trump. So much so that some could be called Russo-Publicans–or perhaps the Politburo Caucus
    • Should Rod Rosenstein be impeached for not revealing internal investigative files to the GOP? No!
    • Assuming Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan, Mark Meadows, et al survive the midterms, THEY should all be impeached in 2019 and indicted for leaking classified documents, obstruction of justice and more.

So what will the political landscape look like this time in 2019? Who will be indicted, convicted or impeached?

  • Let’s assume the Mueller probe and report are completed
  • Let’s assume the Democrats win a large majority in the House
  • Let’s assume the Democrats hold their own in the Senate
  • Then this may happen:
    • Trump will be impeached
    • Trump may be indicted
    • Many other members of the Trump campaign team and/or administration members will be indicted
    • Eventually, RICO charges will be filed against the Trump Organization–with the bulk of its assets seized by the US Government and the entity dissolved (this will take several years at a minimum)
    • Trump may suffer a debilitating nervous breakdown and/or medical  incident such as a stroke or cardiac event causing him to leave office in advance of an impeachment trial in the Senate
    • Mike Pence will assume the Presidency and will either pardon Trump or not
      • If he pardon’s Trump, he will be soundly defeated in 2020, if he runs
      • If he doesn’t pardon Trump, he will be primaried by the GOP base and will either lose or be so damaged in the process that a Democrat will win in 2020
    • Manafort, Stone, Kushner, Cohen and others will be among the convicted. At least three of them will flip on Trump–all of which will ensure a bad outcome for the Fake President.

 

Politics

Comrade Trump and the Russo-Publicans

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Cropped image of Titanic sinking painting by Stower
The Trumptanic is sinking

Fake President Trump foolishly fires one secretary or another, thinking he will finally get the White House he wants or needs. Actually, Trump is rearranging the deckchairs on the Trumptanic as the ship of state slowly sinks beneath the waves of the Mueller investigation. Click To Tweet

Yes, it’s time for the monthly rant about America’s Fake President and the sycophants who support him. Hereinafter, we’ll just refer to him as Comrade Trump. While he calls today for the death penalty for drug dealers, he neglects to note that treason also carries a death penalty. In truth, of course, it’s unlikely that his efforts on behalf of Vladimir Putin would rise to a level qualifying for that penalty if convicted. Meanwhile, the behavior of the “Russo-Publicans” in Congress may not be as treasonous as Trump’s offenses but some may be serious criminal offenses. Under the speech and debate clause, they may be safe from slander charges for what they said about Comey, et al.

Who are the Russo-Publicans? We call them that because they don’t care that the Russians intervened in the 2016 election–OR that the Russians plan on meddling in the 2018 mid-terms. All they care about is protecting their boy–Comrade Trump. Maybe the Russians even have something on them too.

Devin “Numbnuts” Nunes is one of them. Jim “Shouter” Jordan is another. Matt Gaetz is one more. There are way too many others to mention–but you know who they are. Then there’s Trump TV (AKA Fox News/Fox and Friends) with Sean Hannity heading up the cheerleading squad of anti-FBI ranters.

Will Comrade Trump find someone who will fire Mueller? It won’t be Rosenstein. Sessions can’t. If Mueller is fired, will the Russo-Publicans care enough to do anything about it? Here’s some of what might happen if Comrade Trump does succeed in getting rid of Mueller and the Russo-Publicans do nothing.

  • The Mueller team, which has been watertight up until now, will spring a leak—with some members revealing details of the criminal offenses it has found among Trumpistan party members
  • The American populace will take to the streets in numbers vastly exceeding the Women’s March of January 2017
  • The 2018 Mid-Term Elections will not be a wave—it will be a tsunami. That will afford Democrats an opportunity to impeach Trump and begin investigations of those members of the Russo-Publicans that survive the election. That could result in expulsion from Congress for some and/or criminal prosecution.

But let’s say Comrade Trump doesn’t manage to rid himself of Mueller and the probe, then we can expect more indictments. First will come the hacking, cybercrimes, money laundering and other financial offenses and—the collusion (legally known as conspiracy) that Comrade Trump and Trump TV (AKA, Fox News) has insisted didn’t happen.

Obstruction charges will come last, but relatively quickly on the heels of the other indictments.

So, who will Mueller indict and who will Trump pardon?

Here’s my prediction of some who will be indicted (the most likely in my opinion):

  • Fancy Bear, Cozy Bear and Guccifer 2.0 (and probably many other Russians who can be identified)
  • Wikileaks and Julian Assange (who better hope that the current government of Ecuador never changes to one that doesn’t like him)
  • Cambridge Analytica—and perhaps Brad Parscale
  • Roger “Zippy” Stone (think of the polka dot clown suit and hair strands tied in a bow)
  • Jared Kushner
  • Ivanka? Probably not
  • Steve Bannon? Not too likely
  • Jeff Sessions? Nah
  • Devin Nunes—should be but won’t be

What about pardons? We all know Trump demands loyalty from everyone but gives it to none. But he might pardon son-in-law Kushner.

Two other reasons to pardon someone:

  • To avoid them testifying against him
  • Because Putin demands it

It’s too late for Flynn and the rest who have cooperated with Mueller; their testimony is admissible regardless of pardons. Here’s my pardon predictions:

  • Kushner—probably
  • Russian oligarchs but not lower level people
  • Manafort–not too likely; he better cut a deal

Will Pence pardon Comrade Trump once he is booted out of office? Pence is between a rock and a hard place.

  • If he doesn’t pardon him, the Russo-Publicans and the rabid base voters won’t support Pence for the 2020 election
  • If he does pardon him, Pence won’t stand a chance with the rest of the American voters in 2020 (see what happened to Gerry Ford after his pardon of Richard Nixon)

Bonus material for March

  • Stormy Daniels!!!! What’s the prenup look like for Melania?
  • What will Stormy tell the World that she and Donald did?  Must be juicier than salacious stuff in the Steele dossier for all the efforts to hush her up