I'm right again dot
comA Weekly Online Publication of the Anonymous Anything Society — November 1, 2017
THE MUELLER INVESTIGATION: Phase One
The only thing I can use when I try to compare the curtain raiser on the investigation of wrongdoing by persons during the most recent presidential election campaign to anything else in my experience, would be the takeoff of a Titan ICBM from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base. There was a roar that was visceral. It could be heard for miles. Two explosive blasts of flames shot out from vents on either side of the silo, producing heat that had been known in earlier flights to have melted parts of the huge doors over the Titan. When its engines fired for liftoff, it was spectacular.
Both it and Robert Mueller's initial presentations were absolutely overpowering. This is only the prelude, and it won't be over until the fat lady sings.
Despite the initial warning prior to the weekend from Mueller's office that some actions were forthcoming, I don't believe that anyone but those indicted by a Federal Grand Jury and the informant who blew the whistle on them were prepared for Monday's blastoff—certainly no one employed in the White House.
Particulars in a 31-page indictment named the chief engineer of the president's successful campaign and an associate—now headed for a trial for high crimes, caused a mad scramble to distance Paul Manafort and his partner as far as possible from the front doors of the White House and Trump Tower.
The man who was the close confidant and longtime advisor to Putin's choice for President of The Ukraine: Paul Manafort, may still be on the payroll of the Kremlin, but the Trump PR corps insists he had a lesser role—a long, long, long, time ago, in the U.S. presidential campaign—of lesser importance in the scheme of things than the Trump Tower doorman, they insist.
And who is this George P-something, who was picked by the President to furnish advice to his campaign—a volunteer? what could he possibly know? Nothing but what George Papa-dough-poo-los could record on a device, a recorder or microphone. (See, that wasn't so hard: Papadopoulos). If you are employed in the news media, get used to saying it.
What never ceases to amaze we scribes: Some people cannot resist trying to fool the IRS by moving money from one hidey-hole to another, but neglecting to report income. Three luxurious homes, $5.4-million to repair one of them, another $1.3 million for a security system for the one in Florida, $936,000 for a rug for the one in Virginia, $655,000 for a Mercedes, $47,000 for a Range Rover, $655,000 to a New York men's clothing store—on and on. According to the indictment, someone paid Mansfort extravagantly for doing something!
Manafort and his associate are going to have to fully and truthfully describe whatever connections that ever existed between them and Russia; between other persons and Russia about which they have any knowledge—that is, if they hope to shorten the time spent wearing stripes.
I read that Mueller has enlisted the most powerful team of prosecutors ever assembled. And yes, this is only the beginning.
Phil Richardson, Observer of the Human Condition and Storyteller. "He goes doddering on into his old age, making a public nuisance of himself."—Joseph Menchen
Our unending thanks to Jim Bromley, who programs our Archive of Prior Commentaries
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