Not Bupkis

Flynn Flam:  The cable news shows spent much of the day and early evening discussing what they expected to see in Special Counsel Mueller’s Michael Flynn report.  The report was finally released around 8:30 pm last night, it was both disappointing and revealing.  Disappointing because despite hopes that Mueller would provide a detailed update of everything he had learned from former national security advisor/one time Trump confidant Flynn, he didn’t, much of the report was heavily redacted.  That said the report was also somewhat revealing in that it indicated that Flynn had been very cooperative with investigators, that he had met with them seventeen times and that he had provided  “sensitive information” that was helping Mueller with his “ongoing” investigation into interaction between the Trump campaign team and Russia. Though Mueller pointed out that Flynn had lied several times to FBI agents about his sanctions discussions with former Russia Ambassador Kislyak and his work on behalf of the government of Turkey, he said that once caught Flynn quickly moved from Team Trump to Team USA, setting an example for other Trumpkins to follow.  As a result of that early and thorough cooperation Mueller’s recommendation is that Flynn, who is expected to continue his cooperation, not serve any jail time for his crimes. Although no details were provided the report indicates that Flynn is helping the Mueller team with their investigation into another unspecified “crime.”  Speculation is that the other “crime” could involve Education Secretary Betsy DeVos’ brother/ former SEAL Erik Prince’s trip to the Seychelle Islands to meet with some Russians and/or Flynn’s screwy plan to abduct and rendition Turkish cleric Fethullah Gulen from his home in Pennsylvania back to Turkey.  Rudy Giuliani responded to Mueller’s Flynn report with some of his usual drivel saying that it was just another one of those “process” crimes, telling an NBC reporter that Mueller “didn’t have bupkis” (nothing at all for the Yiddish impaired).   No word yet from Trump but its fair to assume that Trump and a few other members of his crime family didn’t sleep all that well last night after learning that Flynn’s contributions were so substantive that they had earned him a get out of jail free card.  As to that get out of jail card, Roger Stone is standing by Trump, listening to what George Conway called his witness tampering tweet and looking to Trump for a future pardon.  Yesterday Stone’s lawyer said that he is invoking his Fifth Amendment protection against self-incrimination.  Stone is refusing to testify in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee and is also refusing to provide the committee with requested documents.  The week isn’t over yet, a report on Paul Manafort and his lying ways is due by Friday and the Michael Cohen sentencing report is due shortly.  Though Cohen would love to get the Flynn treatment, it’s unlikely that he will get off so easily, there probably will be some jail time in his future. Hopefully both those reports will provide more revealing details about the ongoing investigation than those included in the Flynn report.    

Spook Speak:  A select group of Senators finally got to hear from CIA Chief Spook Gina Haspel yesterday. Because the specifics of her session are supposed to be top secret, we don’t get to hear all of the gory details related to journalist Jamal Khashoggi murder, however, it’s fair to assume that what she revealed were truly gruesome.  Senators emerging from her presentation looked shell shocked.  Those who spoke all agreed that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman ordered the murder and should be held accountable.  Senator Lindsey Graham said there’s “not a smoking gun, there’s a smoking saw,” adding that "You have to be willfully blind not to come to the conclusion that this was orchestrated and organized by people under the command of MBS and that he was intricately involved in the demise of Mr. Khashoggi."  Words and conclusions aside, its still not clear how or even if the Senate will pass sanctions against the Crown Prince and it also isn’t clear if the Senate will proceed with legislation ending or restricting US assistance for Saudi Arabia’s cruel war in Yemen.              

2020:  Stormy Daniels’ lawyer Michael Avenatti formally announced that he is no longer running for president reducing the Democratic cast of competitors by one, which is fine because few other than Avenatti were taking his run all that seriously and the Democratic field is big enough without him. Politico reports that former Massachusetts governor Deval Patrick will announce shortly that he is not running in 2020 either.  Though he hasn’t yet announced whether or not he is running former VP Joe Biden did announce that he is the most qualified person out there, an indication that he probably is running. Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg who probably is running too was in Iowa this week talking climate control and reportedly Senator Cory Booker, who probably is also running, wrote personal follow-up notes to every person he met during his last visit to the state, a nice touch that goes over well with those who participate in the Iowa caucuses.  Though the focus is turning to 2020, 2018 isn’t over yet.  The facts emerging about the as yet uncalled North Carolina District 9 Congressional race continue to come to light.  Apparently a Republican operative paid a few locals in at least one Democrat leaning area to collect absentee ballots from gullible voters.  Those ballots were then handed back to the Republican operative who conveniently failed to deliver them to election officials.  Harvesting of absentee ballots is illegal in North Carolina.  A criminal investigation is now in process.  Elsewhere, loser Scott Walker the outgoing governor of Wisconsin is doing his best to ensure that the incoming Democratic governor and attorney general get their wings clipped.  Together with the state’s Republican state legislature, he is pushing legislation that will take away some of the new Democratic team’s powers, his way of ensuring that, among other things, Wisconsin continues to participate in the multi-state lawsuit against Obamacare.  Wisconsin is not alone, Michigan lawmakers are trying to do the same thing.  Continuing with today’s Yiddish theme, though none of this appears to be all that Kosher, it may succeed.

Bear in a China Shop: Though a lot of things including rising interest rates and concerns that the economic expansion is long in the tooth are thought to be contributing to stock market turmoil, it doesn’t help that Trump keeps making contradictory comments about trade negotiations with China. First he promised that tariffs wouldn’t be raised for at least another three months while negotiations with China continued, a kick the ball down the road strategy that temporarily lifted stock markets.  Then Trump disagreed with Economic Advisor Larry Kudlow’s statement that the three month hiatus would begin on January 1, instead saying that it started on December 1 and he announced that trade hardliner Robert Lighthizer would be in charge of “maintaining vigilance” in the negotiations with China.  The bottom line is that Trump doesn’t appear to understand how tariffs work, the Chinese aren’t all that interested in playing ball, and expansions don’t go on forever.  Hardly a market friendly combination.