Ring Around the Russiagate

The monkey chased the weasel. A relatively short list after the weekend. AP: Barr’s testimony to House on Mueller in doubt amid dispute, CNN Barr's appearance at House hearing now in doubt because of dispute with Democrats.

Nadler, wants to allow all members of his panel at Thursday's hearing to have one round of questioning of five minutes each, according to the source. He also wants to allow for a subsequent round of questioning of 30 minutes for each side, allowing both parties' committee counsels to also engage in questioning during their respective turns — which has turned into a key sticking point for the Justice Department.

"The attorney general agreed to appear before Congress. Therefore, members of Congress should be the ones doing the questioning," said Justice Department spokeswoman Kerri Kupec. "He remains happy to engage with members on their questions regarding the Mueller report."
. . .
"The only thing, apparently, that will satisfy Democrats, who refuse to read the less-redacted report, is to have staff pinch hit when a cabinet official appears before us," the spokesperson said. "What actual precedent is there for our committee making such demands of a sitting attorney general as part of our oversight duties? The attorney general isn't a fact witness, and this committee's investigations — as Democrat leadership reminds us daily — don't constitute impeachment, so Democrats have yet to prove their demands anything but abusive and illogical in light of the transparency and good faith the attorney general has shown our committee."

Nadler is making it as onerous as possible for Barr to come, hoping to make an issue of Barr's refusal.

The Atlantic is singing a sad song about The Complicated Friendship of Robert Mueller and William Barr, trying to stir up a fight.

But Barr’s handling of Mueller’s report has cast their relationship in a more adversarial light, and it will be tested further in the coming weeks as Democrats seek separate testimony from both men on the central decisions they made at the culmination of Mueller’s two-year investigation of President Donald Trump and Russian interference in the 2016 election. Barr will appear separately before the Senate and House Judiciary Committees on Wednesday and Thursday, with Mueller potentially following later in May.

Sundance at CTH: Chairman Lindsey Graham Will Not Request Robert Mueller Testimony…

Senate Judiciary Chairman Lindsey Graham gave some brief remarks to local Dallas media discussing his summer agenda for the Judiciary Committee.  Graham notes he does not intend to question Robert Mueller -deferring to AG Barr- which is not surprising considering how lightly Mueller may have been involved in the investigation.

Graham also notes the separation between the legislative branch and judicial branch as a firewall for inquiry into the FISA court.  However, Graham explains his intent to discuss possible FISA abuse (manipulation from the executive branch) with Chief Justice John Roberts. It appears Graham is also waiting for the DOJ inspector general report.

From across the pond at the Daily Mail, Former U.S. deputy attorney general Sally Yates says Trump would have been indicted in Mueller's Russia investigation if he wasn't president. She'll be lucky to get out without being indicted. And related, from Rush Limbaugh, Trump Knows Who’s Behind the Coup Against Him, but basically, it all goes back to Obama and Hillary.

The MOST IMPORTANT part of the obstruction inquiry and Trump's "intent" was Trump's knowledge that the Russia investigation was corrupted from the start.

For Mueller to omit that material fact - Trump knowledge of IC Corruption, FISA abuse etc. - is itself corrupt.

— Techno Fog (@Techno_Fog) April 18, 2019

From up on Da Hill, Trump: Fox's Napolitano asked me to pardon his friend, put him on Supreme Court. Hmm. Da judge was also slapped down by Fox when he said flat out that England was involved with spying on Trump some months ago. It appears to be true.

Fox's Michael Knowles: Trump obstructed Dem attempt to overturn 2016 election with a coup. Yep.

Carter Page on FISA warrants:



From pay walled NYT via Hot Air, FBI Warns Of Russian Interference In 2020 Race And Boosts Counterintelligence Operations. But then, it's in their interest to generate the fear. Of course the Russians will try, it's what they are, it's what they do. But if they boost Democrats this time, and they win, will we get a big investigation? I doubt it.

Reminder from the Epoch Times, Joe Biden, Obama Officials Stood to Gain From Ukraine Influence

On April 18, 2014, Hunter Biden was appointed to the Board of Directors for Burisma–one of the largest natural gas companies in Ukraine.

Four days later, on April 22 2014, Vice President Biden traveled to Ukraine, offering his political support and $50 million in aid for Yatsenyuk’s shaky new government. Petro Poroshenko, a billionaire politician, was elected as president of Ukraine on May 25, 2014. Biden became close to both men and helped Ukraine to obtain a four-year $17.5 billion IMF package in March 2015.

In October 2016, Foreign Policy wrote a lengthy article, What Will Ukraine Do Without Uncle Joe, which described Biden’s role in the removal of Ukraine’s general prosecutor, Victor Shokin. Shokin, the choice of Ukrainian president Poroshenko, was portrayed as fumbling a major corruption case and “hindering an investigation into two high-ranking state prosecutors arrested on corruption charges.”

The United States pushed for Shokin’s removal and Biden led the effort by personally threatening to withhold $1 billion in loan guarantees. In an interview with the Atlantic, Biden recalled telling Poroshenko, “Petro, you’re not getting your billion dollars. It’s OK, you can keep the [prosecutor] general. Just understand—we’re not paying if you do.” Shokin was removedby Poroshenko shortly thereafter, in early 2016.

But according to reporting by The Hill, Shokin had been investigating Burisma, the company that Biden’s son Hunter was a board member of, at the time of his firing. Shokin’s investigation into Burisma had previously been disclosed back in June 2017, by Front News International.

Mere coincidence, I'm sure.