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The Mueller Hearings in One Sentence or Less [Updated]
Mueller mulling pages
“That’s outside my purview.” —Mueller’s apparent prepared answer to every Republican question pointing out his blatant bias, through selective investigation and selective citation.
Offer your own favorite one-liner, be it gem or cow patty, in the comments. Mueller really does not seem on top of his game.
Here is the Fox Business live stream:
Here is the C-SPAN link for Mueller before the House Judiciary Committee. This is a two ring circus, so C-SPAN will also carry the House Intelligence Committee Mueller show later in the day. C-SPAN not only avoids all the network spin, painted around the sides of the screen, it also quickly produces a transcript, which is usually very close to all the exact words.
[UPDATE]
Shortly after the performance ended, President Trump walked out and addressed the American people through the media:
He is still standing because he fights.
Here is an afternoon roll-up of one sentence summaries, taken from the comments:
Short takes:
“Dave’s not here, man.”
“There was no predicate”.
“James Comey said so.”
“I don’t recall.”
“Can you repeat the question?”
“I don’t want to speculate.”
“Can I have that citation?” (Right after hearing the citation.)
“I can’t answer that.”
“I’m not going to get into that.” (Of course not.)
Longer one sentence summaries:
I’m starting to get the sense that Mueller didn’t write or read his own report, and didn’t write or read his own letters.
Hate to say it, but he seems like a fumbling old man at times.
This might not be the original Mueller but his imperfect duplicate, “Bizarro Mueller.”
What’s clear here is that Robert Mueller was a figurehead.
If it weren’t for his enabling of the dragging of our country through this mess for 2+ years, and presiding over a report with enough ambiguity to allow the dragging to continue, I would feel sorry for him.
Mueller couldn’t orchestrate a witch hunt because Mueller couldn’t orchestrate an Easter egg hunt.
Published in Politics
“There was no predicate”.
“James Comey said so.”
I don’t recall.
“Can you repeat the question?”
“I don’t want to speculate.”
“Can I have that citation?” (Right after hearing the citation.)
Jim Jordan is a rock star. His questioning of Mueller on why Misfud wasn’t charged was brilliant. I’m waiting for it to show up on YouTube so I can watch it from time to time when I’m feeling all mopey or out-of-sorts.
Cliff,
Live footage from Mueller hearing we missed.
Regards,
Jim
Yeah, I have heard the word “purview” used more in the past five minutes than I have in my prior 54 years.
I’ll have to track it down. I’ve only watched portions but from of those I’ve seen, no one of either party, knows how to ask questions effectively. Gaetz (R) had some good material but you need drama and he stepped on his best lines. If he’d slowed down, asked a couple less questions, waited for Mueller to respond, paused and then expressed incredulity it would be more effective.
And Mueller looks pretty sad and out of it. I’ve thought all along he was not really leading the investigation and was more of a figurehead controlled by Weissman & Co. His performance at the press conference and today makes me even more confident of that conclusion.
My only question so far, was Mueller just a figurehead? I am beginning to wonder if he had any input at all.
Woof. He seems really slow and confused.
This is a dumpster fire.
Watch Dems and media pivot to, “Republicans pounce on addled old man.”
Gohmert got to that point by asking who wrote his press conference statement. Mueller dodged, so Gohmert said that confirmed someone else wrote the words Mueller delivered.
Democrats’ “questions” are nothing more than stating anti-Trump talking points and directing Mueller to respond “correct,” or “that’s true.”
Cliff,
This hearing could go on for hours.
Regards,
Jim
Mueller is not coming across as very impressive. Hate to say it, but he seems like a fumbling old man at times. Not a great optic.
Doesn’t matter. The Democrats are essentially answering his questions for him, praising him for his courage, and the press will make Mueller into a hero.
My question: Did you personally select the staff for the investigation?
Gaetz could have been better and he could have made it more clear when he first started to question Mule Deer that two of the conspirators on record as being part of the resistance to remove an elected president were hired by him and influenced the direction of his entire investigation “…in other words Mr. Mule Deer, you were duped…a useful idiot for the conspirators”….uh…or words to that effect.
This hearing is making me hate Democrats more than I thought possible.
One after another says (by rote as a standard phrase) that anyone else would be charged if they did these things. Andy McCarthy made the excellent point that no one else could have done these things. A corn farmer in Nebraska isn’t really in the position to fire James Comey or Robert Mueller.
I can’t answer that.
“I’m not going to get into that.”
Of course not.
By the way, what exactly was Mr. Mueller’s purview? If it was an investigation into Russian interference then his incuriosity regarding the origins and veracity of the (foreign) Steele document and Mifsud is radically incompetent at best.
I’m starting to get the sense that Mueller didn’t write or read his own report, and didn’t write or read his own letters.
Does anyone else get the impression that the Dems are far more coordinated and focused in making a comprehensive case? I understand that there are so many threads for the Republicans to chase down while the Dems really only have one bone to gnaw on. It just seems like our guys could have done better in preparation to distill the main points and to anticipate Mueller’s responses and to game plan lines of questioning to nail him down.
They’re doing five points on obstruction from volume 2 in this hearing. Expect the other five this afternoon.