April 11, 2018

Lots of people are worried Trump will fire Robert Mueller, and/or Rod Rosenstein in order to halt the investigation into his dealings with Russia's interference into the 2016 election. To Trump's horror, and the rest of our (albeit anger-tinged) delight, Mueller's investigation has bloomed in directions I'm sure Donny never envisioned.

On Deadline White House, Nicolle Wallace lamented the fact that our "president" is seemingly at war with his own Justice Department and appointees. She spoke disbelievingly about the fact that there is constant talk of firing Mueller and Deputy AG Rosenstein, not over a difference of policy or a threat to America, but the fact that he didn't want people to find out about hush money he paid out to mistresses.

Many of us on activist email lists are getting urgent notices about what to do, how to mobilize should Trump fire either Mueller OR Rosenstein. Florida Rep. David Jolly (R) put things in perspective, though.

Enjoy these pearls of wisdom:

"Mueller and Rosenstein pulled the greatest end-run around Donald Trump, and no one saw it coming, and it's this: by referring this matter to the Southern District of New York, it ensures that this legal exposure and culpability between Trump and Cohen survives the dismissal of Mueller and survives the dismissal of Rosenstein.

"And why that matters is that an impeachable event does not arise out of an investigation by the Special Counsel....[T]he Mueller probe can be shut down because Trump and Cohen are now involved in this legal exposure in New York. If Trump is found to be legally culpable, that can still be an impeachable matter for the U.S. Congress."

Aaaaaaaaaaaah. Don't you feel better? I know I do. I never really thought Trump had the capacity to outsmart Mueller...that Mueller is likely 6 or 7 steps ahead of him at all times, and has at least that many back-up plans should he be fired. But hearing it this way, in these terms from Rep. Jolly just smoothed over all my nerves.

Harry Litman agreed - and wondered how likely Cohen really is to jump out of a building for Trump once the SDNY is holding decades of prison over his head.

Hey. Take peace and joy where you can find it.

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