Octopus Overlords

Makes sense that the WH would leak reports that Rosenstein has "verbally resigned" before firing him, as that'll make a much of headlines say "Rosenstein resigns", which is much better for the WH than "Rosenstein fired".

Welll.....this isn't great.

I guess it would have been pretty stupid for the Trump administration to not push out Rosenstein now, with the NYT have gift-wrapped them a firing offense.

Great job, NYT.

Now everyone is talking about the Vacancy Act, which apparently kicks in only if Rosenstein resigns. This would allow Trump simply to appoint a replacement.

If he forces Trump to fire him, does that mean Congress must approve the new appointment?

Holman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:03 am Now everyone is talking about the Vacancy Act, which apparently kicks in only if Rosenstein resigns. This would allow Trump simply to appoint a replacement.

If he forces Trump to fire him, does that mean Congress must approve the new appointment?

The Vacancies Act would let him put someone in his place who the Senate has already confirmed for a limited amount of time. There had been a lot of talk of using it to put Pruitt in as AG (after firing Sessions), but I don't think that would work now that Pruitt is out of office. Not sure who they would use instead of Pruitt.

Note that there's some ambiguity in the Vacancies Act, such that there is an argument that it can be used even if the outgoing officeholder was fired.

Heard White House leaked he was resigning. That’s seems to not be the fact and that he was summoned to the White House where they will ask for his resignation. If he refuses then we see what happens. Probably will be fired but that’s very different from him offering to resign.

Well, this is just great. America had a good run. When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a bad suit and carrying KFC.

Scoop20906 wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:06 am Heard White House leaked he was resigning. That’s seems to not be the fact and that he was summoned to the White House where they will ask for his resignation. If he refuses then we see what happens. Probably will be fired but that’s very different from him offering to resign.

Unclear at this point, but it would make a lot of sense for the WH to leak that regardless.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:06 am Well, this is just great. America had a good run. When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a bad suit and carrying KFC.

Yeah, seriously. All this breaking news and we should just be waiting for Trump to tell us exactly what happened. Going to be a hell of a week.

Doing this now during the Kavanaugh implosion is a classic "flood the zone" strategy that ensures that each scandal can't get maximal attention.

Smoove_B wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:11 am

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:06 am Well, this is just great. America had a good run. When fascism comes to America it will be wrapped in a bad suit and carrying KFC.

Yeah, seriously. All this breaking news and we should just be waiting for Trump to tell us exactly what happened. Going to be a hell of a week.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:12 am Doing this now during the Kavanaugh implosion is a classic "flood the zone" strategy that ensures that each scandal can't get maximal attention.

Also risks something of a massive political explosion, though. I think the timing is driven more by a desire to seize on the NYT report on Rosenstein while they can.

If the WH either tries to argue that he did too resign, and/or tries to go ahead and use the Vacancies Act after firing, that would be a great way to trigger litigation and keep this in the press through the midterms.

Buckle up.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:15 amIf the WH either tries to argue that he did too resign, and/or tries to go ahead and use the Vacancies Act after firing, that would be a great way to trigger litigation and keep this in the press through the midterms.

Remember when they fired the previous head of the VA and Sarah Sanders and others announced he resigned? They've lied about this before, for the exact same purpose: so Trump can appoint an interim head.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:17 am

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 11:15 amIf the WH either tries to argue that he did too resign, and/or tries to go ahead and use the Vacancies Act after firing, that would be a great way to trigger litigation and keep this in the press through the midterms.

Remember when they fired the previous head of the VA and Sarah Sanders and others announced he resigned? They've lied about this before, for the exact same purpose: so Trump can appoint an interim head.

Oh, I don't doubt it, that's the chance that they'll say that he did too resign. It's just that this is way more high profile than the head of the VA, and so any litigation on that (especially since it impacts the Mueller investigation) would repeatedly make it on nightly cable news.

I don't even have words anymore.

Interesting, though I assume that the waiver would have to come from either the White House and/or Jones Day, and I assume that either would grant such a waiver.

What the hell.

Maybe the WH was trying to pressure him into resigning and he's calling their bluff?

I guess we'll wait and see.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:08 pm

What the hell.

Maybe the WH was trying to pressure him into resigning and he's calling their bluff?

I guess we'll wait and see.

Yeah, it's plausible that they're not ultimately willing to fire him at this point.

We'll see. That would be great (for the most part), but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Jesus, what a disaster, regardless of the ultimate outcome.

Someone please wake me up when this current nightmare is over. TIA

Even if Rosenstein isn't fired, all the Kavanaugh news has been pushed to the side for today at least. So still a win for the WH.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:22 pm Even if Rosenstein isn't fired, all the Kavanaugh news has been pushed to the side for today at least. So still a win for the WH.

eh, that's temporary. Apparently the number of accusers is up to four.

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:22 pm Even if Rosenstein isn't fired, all the Kavanaugh news has been pushed to the side for today at least. So still a win for the WH.

And the Trumpanzees get to crow about how the fake/evil news once again gets it wrong...because they ran with info the WH provided them. Amazing.

El Guapo wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:30 pm

Ralph-Wiggum wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:22 pm Even if Rosenstein isn't fired, all the Kavanaugh news has been pushed to the side for today at least. So still a win for the WH.

eh, that's temporary. Apparently the number of accusers is up to four.

That's ... not surprising I suppose. One accusation tends to lead to more when there are real skeletons in the closet. I'm curious to see how this pans out.

This insane sound and fury of news (potentially) signifying nothing reminds me I should get the hell off of twitter and just check in on the news at the end of the day. For my health, sanity, and work productivity.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:39 pm This insane sound and fury of news (potentially) signifying nothing reminds me I should get the hell off of twitter and just check in on the news at the end of the day. For my health, sanity, and work productivity.

A good point, but if I check the news at the end of the day, then I have trouble getting to sleep.

So I guess that leaves the end of the workday, but then I want to occasionally enjoy spending time with my family.

The only winning game is not to play, but then I risk becoming an "average american voter".

Here's the official word:



Extending the drama a few more days. Ugh.

If he was going to fire him, wouldn't he have done it today? Not sure what the point would be of kicking the can down to Thursday from Trump's perspective, unless the point is to extend negotiations on terms on which Rosenstein would be willing to resign.

If he does it, it will be on a Friday. No one watches the news on Friday.

Isn't the Ford-Kavenaugh hearing Thursday? Either they're going to try to take the focus off of that, or they're aiming for the most clicks EVER for political news stories in one day.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:52 pmExtending the drama a few more days. Ugh.

The great Mangerine likes to pump the ratings.

All signs that I have seen have pointed to Rosenstein feeling like his main purpose now is to protect the Mueller investigation. He won’t resign.

My money is on the WH floating the idea of him resigning, and he called their bluff.

Trump’s team knows they can’t fire him before the midterms, but since they are so bad at this they thought they could force him out.

And damn them for doing this on a day where I really can’t check into the news at all. Bastards.

Captain Caveman wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 12:52 pm Here's the official word:



Extending the drama a few more days. Ugh.

It's worth reiterating that Trump, Sanders, et al blast the news media - the NY Times specifically - every single day for being "fake news". Yet now they want to use that single misleading report as justification for possibly firing Rosenstein?

Get the fuck outta here, you hypocrites.

And then intentionally leak "fake news" as a smoke bomb to deflect from Kavanaugh.

None of their attacks on the media are ever on the level. It's all a means to an end.

msteelers wrote: ↑Mon Sep 24, 2018 1:36 pm All signs that I have seen have pointed to Rosenstein feeling like his main purpose now is to protect the Mueller investigation. He won’t resign.

My money is on the WH floating the idea of him resigning, and he called their bluff.

Trump’s team knows they can’t fire him before the midterms, but since they are so bad at this they thought they could force him out.

The story out last week sounded suspiciously like the Trumpers typical tactic of taking something innocuous (like a poorly timed joke about wearing wires), leak them to the press, and use the confusion to push some narrative.

Today looks like it was supposed to be the payoff where the story they planted last week gives them cover to fire Rosenstein or force him to resign only, like most of their half baked plans, it backfired.

Hopefully we'll get more of the details of what the plan was in some leaks over the next few days.