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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsI fear I may be losing my mind.
And if that is the case please be aware that I am cool with it. Lot's of wonderful people have lost their minds for a bit. It's the not knowing that's freaking me out. Maybe y'all can let me know either way. I would truly appreciate it! Here goes.
I sorta posted all this last night which generated zero interest. 24 hours later nothing has changed.
This all involves General (ret.) Michael Flynn. Flynn led the Lock Her Up chants during 16 campaign. National Security Advisor for 24 days. Fired then arrested last December.
A week ago we learned that he accepted a cooperation deal from Robert Mueller almost as soon as it was offered in return for information into the Russian Collusion case run by Robert Mueller.
Last week Robert Mueller released a Mike Flynn senencing memo to the world and it was a bombshell. Mueller is extremely happy with Flynn's cooperation. So happy that Mueller recommends no jail time for Flynn. Mueller also revealed that Flynn is not cooperating in one but three different investigations. Mueller's investigation of the Trump campaign ties to Russia, a seperate unnamed criminal probe, and a third unnamed investigation. Most of which were redacted.
Mueller also revealed that Flynn had sat for 19 seperate sessions with the special councel's office as well as DOJ attorneys totalling 65 hours in those 19 interviews. The memo states that Flynn has assisted with the investigation into any links or coordination between the Russian government and individuals associated with the campaign of President Donald J. Trump. and that Flynn's information was "substantial".
Memo: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-12-05/mueller-recommends-no-jail-for-flynn-because-of-his-help?srnd=premium
Mueller Recommends No Jail for Flynn, Citing His Cooperation
By David Kocieniewski
?December? ?4?, ?2018? ?8?:?41? ?PM? ?EST Updated on ?December? ?5?, ?2018? ?7?:?34? ?AM? ?EST
Former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn has provided so much help to prosecutors investigating the Trump campaign and Russias attempt to sway the 2016 election that Special Counsel Robert Mueller said he has earned a lenient sentence that doesnt include time behind bars.After pleading guilty early last December to lying to federal agents, Flynn provided useful information during 19 interviews, Muellers prosecutors said Tuesday in a court filing. They noted that some of the benefit from Flynns cooperation may not be fully realized at this time because investigations are ongoing.
Given the defendants substantial assistance, Mueller said, a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration -- is appropriate and warranted. Muellers recommendation of no jail for Flynn is another indication the Special Counsel is willing to give a break to those who help his investigation. But he also seemed to be sending a message to others, who may still be under scrutiny.
So Flynn talked and ratted out Trump campaign, and others. 19 different interviews 65 total hours of ratting. And Meuller is over the moon with Mike Flynn's information.
We all learned this a week ago.
So how come Republicans, WingNuts, and Deplorables everywhere are still, a full week later, in love with Mike Flynn. Why are they begging Donald Trump to pardon Mike Flynn. And most incredibly why are they sure that Mike Flynn's trial will be thrown out or reversed?
It's at this point I begin to question my well being. I start pondering my sanity. My sobriety. My brow is furrowed. I get a bad head ache. My tummy is upset. I've been peeking at people out of the corner of my eye. What the hell is going on?!?
First thing, an important point, THERE IS NO FLYNN TRIAL. He already pled guilty. What's going on now is a sentencing hearing.
Now watch this. Last night on Hannity Seb Fucking Gorka told Sean Shithead Hannity that Mike Flynn would make Trump a GREAT Chief of Staff just as soon as Trump pardons him.
Link to tweet
And here is today's Rush Limbaugh vomit.
https://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2018/12/13/the-flynn-judge-demands-documents-from-mueller/
Judge Sullivan Should Throw Out the Flynn Case
Dec 13, 2018
RUSH: What I want to start with today on the Trump stuff, two things here that are equally important. One of them thats important, potentially, the judge in the Michael Flynn case is named Emmet Sullivan. Emmet Sullivan is the judge in the Ted Stevens case, the Ted Stevens trial.
And, in that trial, the prosecutors, the same group of people on Muellers team, the prosecutors in that case suborned perjury from the star witness against Ted Stevens, a contractor, a home repair guy. They got Ted Stevens kicked out of the Senate for supposedly accepting a kickback of 150 grand for a remodeling job at his house that he didnt pay for. Thats what Ted Stevens was charged with.
That a contractor did a $150,000 remodeling job and gave him the work in exchange for whatever Ted Stevens could do for the guy as a senator. That guy, that contractor was asked to lie about Ted Stevens and what he asked for on the witness stand. Judge Emmet Sullivan found out about this and he raised holy hell with these prosecutors. He overturned the conviction of Ted Stevens after Ted Stevens was gone from the Senate.
I apologize for exposing you to Rush Seb and Hannity but I had to make you see that WingNuts are still Michael Flynn groupies.
This brings it all to a head. It's time I find out if I have lost my damn mind.
Deplorables still adore Mike Flynn. Deplorables want Trump to pardon Mike Flynn. Mike Flynn spent 65 hours ratting out Donald Trump to Robert Mueller.
Why do Deplorables still support Mike Flynn?
Why do they want Donald Trump to pardon the man who spent 65 hours ratting out Donald Trump?
Why isn't there at least 1 Republican out there explaining to other Republicans why Mike Flynn isn't hunky anymore?
How come nobody else is pointing out that Republicans are still fawning over the man who ratted Trump out to Boss Man Mueller?
Am I the only person vexed by these conundrums?
Am I fucking crazy?
marybourg
(12,634 posts)Why do you even KNOW what they think? If you ARE going crazy, youre driving yourself to it by paying attention to Republicans, wing nuts and deplorables. Sorry mate, but you asked.
Saboburns
(2,807 posts)What you replied is exactly what I am seeking.
And I thank you for your insight.
All the Best!
BBG
(2,550 posts)Consider the source. And in this case ignore them. Youll go crazy trying to think like they dont.
Flaleftist
(3,473 posts)(Some would say that time is now, but I'm sure there is stronger evidence) we will have the votes to do what has to be done. If not, we are in serious fucking trouble. I'm not as concerned about the deplorables as I am about the congressmen who side with them.
mr_lebowski
(33,643 posts)Obama fired him, and many people know on the right that Trump was warned by Obama not to hire Flynn.
This simple fact ... gives Flynn immense credibility with them, inherently. Obama doesn't like him, he must be awesome!
There's also the fact that he's a General, and wing-nuts love their military leaders, pretty unquestioningly.
They also likely think (wrongly, IMHO) that if Flynn has said something all that bad about Trump, it'd have been ALL OVER THE NEWS by now, and Trump would already be impeached, etc. The fact nothing has really happened to Trump means ... Flynn must not have said Trump 'colluded' ... in their mind. They don't understand how criminal cases of this nature 'work', they expect immediate gratification, like AS SOON AS SOMETHING IS KNOWN ... it's ON THE NEWS!
And OFTEN in our society, that's true.
But it's not happening in this case. It's too important of a case, too much at stake with Nat'l Security, and leaks about something this important are quite illegal.
But wingnuts don't understand these things ... and their cult-leader Trump is damn sure not trying to help them understand it, quite the opposite.
SergeStorms
(19,204 posts)Much - maybe most - of Flynn's testimony is the baseline of Mueller's investigation. How far Trump, Manafort, Kushner, the Trump brats etc. stray from that baseline will be the degree to which they're punished. Like you said, the republican dullards who think Flynn is a great guy because nothing he testified about has surfaced as yet, are going to be very surprised when each and every one of them are measured against Flynn's testimony and evidence he's provided. I think their opinions of Flynn are going to change mightily down the road. Their faith and trust in Flynn is going to come crashing down around them, all of them, and only then will they realize that Flynn gave away the Trump campaign family jewels. At that point they will be well, and truly, fucked.
miyazaki
(2,249 posts)like being one of the last human fugitives running and hiding in the nightmarish world of invasion of the body snatchers. it ain't easy .
Stonepounder
(4,033 posts)The Trump base are people who. either a) have had their minds turned to porridge. or b) are mouth breathing bigoted racists who think Hitler was wonderful as well.
Personally, I'm sorta pissed over Mueller trying to give Flynn a pass. He's a fucking traitor!! I don't care how honorable he served his country, he accepted the position of National Security Advisor while acting for the interests of a foreign government rather than the interests of the country he swore to serve. He's right up there with Benedict Arnold in that regard. He violated his Oath of Office by even taking the Oath! That is inexcusable. Full Stop.
Jarqui
(10,130 posts)stated above:
Given the defendants substantial assistance, Mueller said, a sentence that does not impose a term of incarceration -- is appropriate and warranted. Muellers recommendation of no jail for Flynn is another indication the Special Counsel is willing to give a break to those who help his investigation.
I contend that the bolded sentence above is not accurate
From Mueller memo on sentencing Flynn
http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2018/images/12/04/46-main.pdf
Total Offense Level is 4, Criminal History Category I, resulting in an advisory guideline range of 0-6 months.
....
Given the defendants substantial assistance and other considerations set forth below, a sentence at the low end of the guideline rangeincluding a sentence that does not impose a term of incarcerationis appropriate and warranted.
....
the government submits that a sentence at the low end of the advisory guideline range is appropriate and warranted.
At the low end of the guideline range could mean he gets no incarceration, a day, a week or a month. They should try to leave the judge some latitude and they did. Mueller was not saying explicitly that Flynn should serve no jail time. Mueller allowed the judge his support for no jail time if the judge so chose to do that. But the judge could give him a light jail sentence and still be within what Mueller recommended.
I think this has been widely reported inaccurately.
I have a bit of a stake in it because this is the prick who got the Trump crowd chanting "lock her up!". I'd like to see him locked up for a bit. I don't care so much as to how much he cooperated after he lied to the FBI. All he did was what he should have done in the first place: tell the truth. How would Hillary feel about that chanting? Not very nice. So I think a little jail time for Flynn would deliver some justice.
wishstar
(5,271 posts)No wonder you are puzzling over why Trump and gang are not turning on Flynn.
The key is Kushner who was behind Trump firing Comey and Kushner who has undoubtedly convinced Trump to lay off attacking Flynn. They are buying time and laying groundwork for spinning their moneymaking schemes with Russia. They are hoping that in his talks with Mueller, Flynn has spun a favorable version of their motives for the contacts with Russians in pursuit of deals. New report from Mother Jones states that "sources say" Flynn had Russian contacts during campaign involving getting Russia to help in Syria to promote mideast peace in return for sanctions relief. This dovetails with Kushner's explanation of his suspicious Russian contacts. Seems like a coordinated cover story to protect their pursuit of financial deals.
Kushner like Flynn was pursuing extremely lucrative deals involving Russia and Middle East that required lifting of sanctions. Their financial interests coincided with Trump's interest in the Moscow tower that required sanctions relief for Russian bank funding.
Like Flynn, Kushner's defense of his suspicious contacts with Russians about the back channel etc. was claiming that these were merely benign contacts to promote Mideast peace with cooperation from Russia, when they were actually seeking lucrative deals.
They are buying time and handling Flynn with kid gloves in hopes he won't publicly turn on Trump like Cohen did and blow things wide open regarding the gigantic money making schemes since Kushner is involved. But unfortunately for them, Mueller has undoubtedly found out the true motives behind their Russian contacts that they have lied and told cover stories about. Wishful thinking that Flynn has protected Trump and Kushner because I think Flynn actually has come clean to not lose his cushy military pension since he was in danger of court martial if he did not fully cooperate in investigation of their foreign entanglements involving counterintelligence.