Michael Cohen to testify publicly on Capitol Hill - 2/27

It's going to be difficult for me

So, we have a liar and a crook who happened to be Trump's long time liar and crook. What are we supposed to take from his testimony?

I think he will be carefully coached to say whatever he is being asked to say to shave time off his sentence (still time to do so even after sentencing).

On the other hand, he was Trump's guy so the fact that he is a liar and a crook doesn't look good for Trump.

I think there may be a period post-sentencing where one's sentence can be reduced for cooperation. I don't know if this (testifying in front of Congress) would qualify.

 

So the NYT and the Wapo seem to think the breaking news here is that Trump paid for non-disclosure agreements with Stormy Daniels and some other woman. If this is the big news of the day, then this whole exercise has been a mammoth waste of time.

It is not illegal to pay for non-disclosure agreements and it is not a campaign finance violation for a candidates to pay for expenses out of their own pockets, regardless of whether the expenses are campaign related or not.

This is awfully weak sauce, fellas. Very weak sauce indeed.

 

There was very little today from a legal/criminal standpoint or a political (i.e. grounds for impeachment) standpoint. Trump was embarrassed multiple times, but that doesn't lead to much actionable.

 

That is my take as well.

 

That was the only moment of this whole sordid mess that I truly appreciated. It showed that these politicians are actually human, and I have a lot of respect for how Cummings dealt with it particularly given the numerous attacks directed specifically at him today.

 

I trust lawyers more than politicians. At least lawyers claim to seek out truth.

 

I feel like I just got a lecture from the village elder.

 

And the wheels keep falling off the GOP cart.

 

If you think Cohen's crooked, just wait until you see his clients!

 

...I'm told like keeps to like.

 

You are gullible.

 

Complex scheme with shell companies, lengthy multiple repayments, and a number of people involved. The combination of the actual check and the NY charging document. This alone seems like something that is actionable.

Other financial problems that NY is going after that cohen couldn't respond about. New questions about what trump knew when (and his son and daughter) about the emails. And this didn't even address emoluments questions.

 

I still find Medows' claim hilarious and out of touch. Because Trump has a black person currently employed under him magically 40 years of history of many of his racist remarks and gestures are not irellevent.

 

Uh huh.

 

Another of trump's lawyers...

 

Makes Hillary Clinton look like a nun...

 

For what it is worth, a significant percentage of politicians are indeed lawyers.

Edit: Demographics

 

Cohen is the starting point for public proceedings, not an end. If you think today was bad what would Weisselberg would look like in front of this committee? I mean, the big shoe hasn't dropped yet. And you still have the SDNY, the IRS and the State Of New York.

Trump will be hounded everyday with new charges and accusations. It will crush him personally and politically. (from someone that watched Watergate in real time)

 

Because that has not been happening already, virtually nonstop for moving on three years now.