Law, Power, and Justice

Oh, and Eileen Cannon’s behavior is not f…ing “baffling.”

AFTRNOON NEWS NOTES: UPDATE

RUSSIAN ATTACK

Ostorozhno Novosti, Moscow Region

• MSNBC
• As Peter Baker said, there is a question about who did this and who Putin will blame.  The two may well not be the same.
• There is an expected crackdown.
• Russia is no stranger to terrorist attacks, but the most serious attacks in the recent past have been Chechen terrorists, but the conflict with the Chechens has quieted down.
• McFaul: Putin advertised himself as tough on terrorism, a provider of security.  The previous terrorist attacks helped Putin concentrate control.  If he’s so tough on terrorism, why did this happen?   Why didn’t they listen to the Americans?  Why are they categorizing NGOS (including Navalny’s) as potential terrorists. 
• The US security alert mentioned concerts specifically.
• Clint Watts: The continuing threat has been Islamic terrorists.  How will we ever know what it true? 
• McFaul: In 1999 bombings, there have been studies that said that those were designed by the government to help Putin.  We don’t know this time.  The State Department had to have very reliable evidence to issue the alert.  This usually goes on in private, but they released it publicly. 
• Watts: There are veterans who have come back from Ukraine who were drafted, and left over from the Prigozhin group that are left over and angry about their treatment. 
•  
• FOX NEWS
• This makes Putin look weak to his own people that he couldn’t prevent a terrorist attack at a mall.
• This is not the MO of Ukraine and Ukraine has denied participation in this attack. 
• 2017 terrorist attack in St. Petersburg was thwarted by information given to Russia by the US intelligence.
• Putin lives in a bubble, being told that everything is OK. 
• There is a lot of effort going into protecting Putin from his opposition.  In addition there is Ukraine.
• This is a brazen attack and shows just how ineffective Putin’s security service.
• Autocracy in brittle.  There is rising inflation, you can’t buy things you used to buy, there is a high body count from the war in Ukraine.
• What is the impact on the stability of the Putin regime?  Will there be cracks in the security services?  All public events have been cancelled in Moscow.

TRUMP

• MSNBC:
• Trump has spend none of his own money on his campaigns since 2016.
• Trump claimed today on Truth Social that he had “almost five hundred million dollars in cash.”  This conflicts with what his lawyers have been telling the court, and what he has testified to under oath.
• We know he’s trying to raise the money and the problem is where that money will come from.
• Trump’s bank accounts can be frozen.  A seizure process would go after the most liquid assets. 
• Monday they said Trump didn’t have the money.  Friday he claims he has it. 
• This post on Truth Society didn’t happen by accident (Suzanne Craig).
• NYT reporting on the Garland Justice Department and investigation of Trump.  (Note: Garland is a Federalist Society fellow traveler).
• (Note: MSNBC has on three former DOJ employees to comment on the DOJ, on which they still depend for their living.  What a crock.)
• Weissmann: “The truth is not black or white.”  (Note: Oh, boy, don’t go out on a limp here, Andrew). 
• Anothony Coley: “Monday morning quarter-backing” by Weissmann, “history will be the judge.”  “History will be the judge.”  (Note: Jesus.)  Coley (surprise, surprise) is defending the DOJ.  People cannot believe everything they read about ongoing investigations at the DOJ.  (Please). 
• Mary McCord:  “We have to take with a grain of salt reporting of ongoing investigations at the DOJ.”  (Note: Well, bullshit, that’s a really strong statement.  What did MSNBC expect from these three?  Weissmann is the only one who will even question the decisions of DOJ and the other two are defending for all they are worth.  Pathetic journalism. 
• Weissmann: The report was being pushed out by DOJ, to make them look better.  The reaction of the Committee.  “It is never” desirable for the Congressional committee is out in front of the DOJ.  “…this was not normal.”  How is it the DOJ didn’t know about Cassidy Hutchinson?  The report is “spin.” 

AS ANDREW WEISSMAN SAID, FINALLY, Eileen Cannon’s behavior is not “baffling.”  It’s not f…ing baffling.