The Fat Lady Still Hasn't Sung

We are indebted to Robert Mueller for several things. First, he carried out a very careful and apparently dispassionate investigation of the Trump team’s behavior and did so without any noticeable leaks. That, in itself, is an impressive feat. Our democracy depends on institutions that work on behalf of the public, and that is what Mr. Mueller impressed me as doing. Of course, when these institutions reveal wrongdoing on Donald Trump’s part he denounces them and refers to them as “the deep state,” but, what do you expect? It’s Trump. It’s weird that he denounced Mueller for years and now is holding up his report as pure and pristine truth, but again, that’s Trump.

  

I also feel indebted to Robert Mueller for the way he managed to indict, convict, or put in jail seven sleazy characters who were central to Trump’s election and administration. I consider that a good start.

And finally, thank you, Mr. Mueller for handing off information to other legal teams, like the Southern District of New York, that is sure to lead to more indictments and, I expect, convictions of Trump’s lackeys in the future.

Trump and his lawyers are celebrating right now because, according to the summary of the Mueller report offered by Trump’s Attorney General, William Barr, Trump was found not to have colluded directly with the Russians, and, though he may have obstructed justice, Mueller decided not to indict on this matter, leaving that up to the AG.

Mueller specifically said, with regard to obstruction of justice, that Trump was not exonerated. But Trump, being Trump, loudly declared that Mueller “completely exonerated” him. What a loser. Even when things go well for him, he manages to act like a petulant punk.

Granted the Mueller report could have been a lot worse for Trump, so he has some cause for relief. It was odd, however, that his attorney, Rudy Giuliani, said he expected the report to be a lot worse. That reminds me of the joke where a couple of muggers struggle fiercely with their victim until, getting him pinned down, they find he only had two dollars in his wallet. “Why did you fight so hard for two dollars?” they asked. “Oh, said the victim, “I thought you were after the $500 hidden in my shoe.”

So, what, I’d like to know, did Giuliani expect the report to reveal? More importantly, why did so many of Trump’s people have contacts with the Russians that they felt compelled to lie about? I wonder if the Mueller report, still not available for public review, will offer any insight concerning that question.

In any case, the sleazy and illegal behavior of such Trump people as Paul Manafort, Michael Cohen, and Roger Stone, is going to offer lots of opportunities for the SDNY, the Democratic House, and other authorities to investigate, and that is not good news for Trump.

But, I’m happy to let him and his gang celebrate what they see as their current victory. And I again want to express appreciation to Mr. Mueller for bringing to justice so many of the creepy characters that make up Trump World – like former campaign manager, Paul Manafort, for example.

Photo of Paul Manafort by Alex Wong for New York Intelligencer

Anyway, this may be the end of the beginning of Trump-focused investigations, it is certainly nowhere near the end.

Badfellas

You can tell Trump has been badly rattled by Michael Cohen’s flipping on him. The crucial evidence is that Trump has not come up with a single nickname for his former lawyer and fixer.

No “Stoolie Cohen.”

No “Mikey the Rat.”

No “Rent-a-Thug.”

Nothing.

Clearly Cohen has thrown Trump off his game.

     I picture our pathetic president these days as knocking around with his surviving henchmen in his inner sanctum saying things like, “Cohen said he’d take a bullet for me. I’d like to give him a bullet or two. Just let me catch him in the middle of Fifth Avenue!”

      “Now Manafort, there’s a mug that knows how to take a bullet. Classy guy, great clothes. Damned if I won’t pardon him as soon as Congress tells me the coast is clear.”
     “And Congress – they better watch themselves. If I catch any of them being disloyal, I’ll drop them like a used-up wife.”

     “I’m not just sweating for myself. It’s my family, too. Nobody better lay a hand, or an indictment, on any of them. Okay, maybe they can mess with Jared, but they better leave the others alone – Ivanka, Don Junior and what’s his name.”

And so on. 

Clearly the days of Trump as an effective president, or capo di tutti capi, or whatever, are over. I don’t believe he will be impeached, based on the information that has been released so far. In fact, it’s mainly Republicans who are talking about the possiblity of impeachment, probably as a way to motivate their base to vote. But, as more and more ugliness oozes out of the Oval Office, the prospect of impeachment may ultimately become real. But short of impeachment, Trump’s ability to get anything done has been drastically diminished by the ever-growing heap of incriminating evidence against him.

Let me conclude here with a list of the seven people and things that, as of now, I believe Trump hates and fears most:

1.     Michael Cohen

2.     Robert Mueller

3.     James Comey

4.     Jeff Sessions

5.     Attention directed at anyone but himself

6.     Admiration expressed for anyone but himself

7.     Justice

                     Justice (From "The Best Schools")