DOJ Resists Special Master, DOJ convicts Whitmer Fednappers and We Still Have Nadler to Kick Around

Not really a lot of progress in the Mar-a-Lago Panty Raid story. The only thing I see that's really new is that the DOJ has assembled a "taint" team, to go through the items seized from Mar-a-Lago, to return those items seized that shouldn't have been (we already know about about the passports, and we assume there are a bunch of legal papers covered under executive and legal privilege that they should not have seen. Fox interprets this as an attempt to thwart Trump's demand for a 'special master,' presumably a judge outside the FBI/DOJ circle with more objectivity, DOJ 'taint team' examining Trump Mar-a-Lago documents, "The procedure could complicate Trump’s effort to gain the appointment of an independent special master." At this point, would you trust the FBI/DOJ to find objective people to evaluate the documents? Like the Mueller team, I would guess it would be stacked with Trump haters. If they're so objective, let's find out who they are! Herr Professor Jacobsen at LI, Mar-a-Lago Raid: Trump Seeks Special Master As Leaked Docs Show Biden Helping FBI Just Prior To Raid, "Team Biden may not have known of the “raid” in advance, but their fingerprints are all over this. John Solomon: “the Biden White House worked directly with the Justice Department and National Archives to instigate the criminal probe into alleged mishandling of documents, allowing the FBI to review evidence retrieved from Mar-a-Lago this spring and eliminating the 45th president’s claims to executive privilege.” Via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22, the Victory Girls: Special Master Requested In Trump/Mar-a-Lago Raid and The Geller Report: President Trump SUES US Justice Department Over Illegal FBI Mar-a-Lago Raid. Stephen Kruiser at PJ Media, Trump Punches Back at Latest Failed Dem Fishing Expedition. Jeff Lord at Am Spec Judge Rejects DOJ Bid to Keep Trump Affidavit Sealed: Impeach Garland and Wray, "Admits raid “unprecedented.”" At Ace's The Morning Rant Dave in FL is incensed over The Assault on Mar-a-Lago "I think this was a Deep State operation that was targeted toward the recovery of unknown material that Trump possesses that the Deep State wants destroyed. I can think of multiple reasons why Trump would be keeping such documents, such as insurance against assassination." Many have come to that conclusion. I grant it to be among the leading hypothesis, but remember, they might have more than one goal in mind. 

Matt Vespa at Town Hall identifies   the Woman Who Launched the FBI Ransacking of Mar-a-Lago, "The latest development in this legal fiasco is Acting Archivist Debra Steidel Wall's role in the document retrieval, where she seems to be one of the leading figures who triggered the FBI raid. " She asked the White House to revoke Trump's executive privilege. After they were taken, of course. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22, Nice Deb at Am Great reports on Government Memos: Joe Biden Okayed NARA Decision to Waive Trump’s Claims to Executive Privilege Ahead of FBI Raid.  Althouse, "Most judges would be a tad annoyed by the contradiction as the government continues to frame the public debate with its own selective leaks while using secrecy to bar other disclosures."

"That includes sections of the affidavit that detail the communications with the Trump team, information that is already known to the target. Someone is clearly lying. The Trump Team said that it was cooperating and would have given access to the government if it raised further objections. The Justice Department has clearly indicated that time was of the essence to justify this unprecedented raid on the home of a former president. Yet, Attorney General Merrick Garland reportedly waited for weeks to sign off on the application for a warrant and the FBI then waited a weekend to execute that warrant. It is difficult to understand why such communications could not be released in a redacted affidavit while protecting more sensitive sections. The latest leak to to the New York Times offers details on what was gathered from Mar-a-Lago...." Writes Jonathan Turley.

Capt. Ed at Haut Hair,  DoJ leak to NYT: Trump had 300-plus classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, which sounds like a lot, but who knows how many napkins and items of women's underwear are being counted? From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22, from Don Surber, a reminder of that time NYT published classified material and didn't worry about the damage done. At Fox, Brad Moss opines The Trump Mar-a-Lago search was justified, "Here's the truth about the FBI search of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home on August 8." At Town Hall Cutie Pavlich sees Adam Schiff Connects the Dots Between the FBI's Mar-a-Lago Raid and J6 Committee. A hyperthyroid bottom feeder. Ace, John Solomon: The White House Claimed It Had No Prior Knowledge of the Raid on Donald Trump's House. "The White House, Once Again, Lied. They're just worried about democracy and norms and truth."

In the WSJ, David B. Rivkin Jr. and Lee A. Casey argue persuasively that the Presidential Records Act give Trump the right to access his own papers, thereby nullifying the crap bullshit the FBI got their warrant on. . . . He has a specific right to his papers which trumps any more general law about papers.

Paul Sperry at RCP reminds us the same FBI Unit Leading Mar-a-Lago Probe Earlier Ran Discredited Trump-Russia Investigation. The same crowd keeps popping up doing the same political things. Assuming a Republican ever takes the White House again, deep cleaning is necessary, regardless of the pain involved. Nick Arama at Red State says More Whistleblowers Reveal 'out of Control' FBI Including Fake Cases, Even False Affidavits to bolster stats. "“Every Thanksgiving and Christmas, there’s a number of field offices, and the SAC picks somebody for everybody to follow because it helps them with their metrics,” Mr. Siuzdak said. “So they pick somebody to scrutinize, often without merit from wherever, and that’s the bad guy you need to follow and put your assets on.” Mr. Siuzdak said different field offices have different names for these holiday operations, such as “Turkey Day Terrorist” or “Thanksgiving Day Terrorist.”" A good argument for cutting FBI funding. Lloyd Billingsley at Am Great says Pence Is All Wrong About the FBI, no one is above criticism, although the FBI might plant something on you if you're too vigorous. Dan Greenfield at Front Page, 'We Lied the Last 1,000 Times, Trust Us Now' "If you can’t trust hacks pulling a political hit job before an election, whom can you trust?" Anxious is anxious that FBI’s Mar-a-Lago search ignites the right, "Trump's Truth Social app gains more users after FBI's Mar-a-Lago search"

KT at Haut Hair is amused that Biden to host a Unity Summit in September though he has failed to unite Americans. Will Hunter be providing the "party favors?"

How many Republicans do you think will show up and take part in this exercise in futility? Maybe Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, right? All this theatre couldn’t have anything to do with the approaching midterm elections in November, could it?

Speaking of Turkey Day Terrorists, at Da Wire, Jury Convicts Two Men Of Conspiring To Kidnap Michigan Governor. Ace, Jury Returns Guilty Verdicts In Government's Do-Over of Fednapping Case, "The FBI gets its frame in the 2020 fednapping hoax." At the minimum, they were guilty of gross stupidity. Anybody with any brains knows that half the people in any right-wing plot are FBI agents and plants. Kylee Griswold at Da Fed rhetorically wonders Two Years After Kenosha Riots, Why No August 23 Committee To Investigate The Big Lie That Stoked The Flames? Because it doesn't fit the Democrat agenda.

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22, Legal Insurrection NBC Poll Shows Trump Got a Bump Despite Mar-a-Lago Raid, People Want Republican Congress. Covers, US Election Betting Odds: FBI Search Warrant Does Little to Hurt Trump's Odds.

Rick Moran at PJ Media reports Cheney Has Tapped Koch Network and Some Trump Consultants in Potential Run for the Presidency but AllahPundit at Haut Hair is despondent as Poll confirms: A Cheney presidential run could swing the 2024 election to Trump.  YouGov America@YouGovAmerica "@YahooNews: If Liz Cheney were to run as an independent in 2024, she would take more support from Biden than from Trump. 2024 three-way matchup: Biden: 32% Cheney: 11% Trump: 40%" Oof!   Stephen Kruiser at PJ Media, The Delicious Stupidity of Liz Cheney's Presidential Folly "I cannot begin to describe how much I would like to see her go through with this. I may have to rent a storage space for the extra schadenfreude I’ll have when this ego train wrecks. . . . So please, Lizzie, run. Run like the wind." Also, At Am Think, Rick McDonough describes Liz Cheney’s Agony

Had Cheney been interested in the truth, she might have insisted that the committee seat the appropriate number and type of Republicans to cross-examine the prosecutorial witnesses. She did not do so. At every turn she interpreted any testimony in the worst way possible for Trump, e.g., she has recently stated that Trump “commanded” a “heavily armed mob” to try to stop the counting of electoral votes. She and her Jan. 6th Committee have, however, given no evidence whatsoever that Trump “commanded” an armed mob to use violence to stop the counting of electoral votes. Her very strong statement requires that she prove both causality and intent. However, the committee has only demonstrated a degree (even that not clear) of correlation between Trump’s remarks and the riot, namely, that Trump made some remarks and some people went to the Capitol and rioted.

Ace, Surprise! Liz Cheney Crony Has Carpetbagged to Missouri to Make a Spoiler Run as an "Independent" Candidate for Senate to Siphon Votes from the Republican. And He's Being Funded by Former Senator and Establishment Grifter John Danforth, "Another neocon attempt to elect a Democrat to Teach Conservatives a Lesson."

Shelby Talcott at Da Caller, Biden Reportedly Planning To Issue $10,000 Student Loan Forgiveness For Some Borrowers, The Peacock, Biden nears decision on student loan cancellation, moratorium extension "The president is expected to cancel $10,000 per borrower making $125,000 a year or less." 'Bonchie' at Red State thinks Biden Is About to Commit an Impeachable Offense; Republicans Must Respond With Fury. From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22, the Weasel Zippers, Poll: Majority Of Americans Say Canceling Student Loan Debt Will Make Inflation Worse… "Because it will."

From the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22, Da Tech Guy This Screams “I’m running in 2024”. Gavin Newsome. 

Nick Arama again, Swalwell Takes a Swipe at DeSantis, but Commits an Embarrassing Self-Own. Between farts and Chinese spies, I don't think Swalwell is capable of embarrassment. Capt. Ed sees CBS, The Hill  wondering CBS, Can Florida Democrats take down DeSantis? "Er … nope. But for one day only, the media want to believe, man." AllahPundit whines Hmmm: Is the new DeSantis "Top Gov" ad airing nationally?  "I warned you not to assume that the Mar-a-Lago search had dashed DeSantis’s presidential dreams. He’s clearly still thinking about it." Fox reports DeSantis-backed candidates flip Florida school board from liberal to conservative, "The Florida school board wins are being touted as victories against 'woke' indoctrination"

At PJ Media, Mark Tapscott wonders Will the Washington Post Correct Its Seven Huge Errors About Sen. Rick Scott's NRSC?. Those weren't "errors," they were deliberate lies.

The good news from yesterday's primaries, are that we'll still have Fats Nadler to kick around. ET, New Yorkers Hit the Polls Aug. 23 for ‘Primary Part 2’. AllahPundit claims Live results: Dem civil war in New York -- and a major midterm bellwether and There are so many juicy subplots to the Democratic civil war being fought in New York today. At WaEx, Rep. Nadler ousts colleague Maloney in New York House Democratic primary brawl. NYPo, Maloney cries ‘misogyny’ after Nadler knocks her off in nasty primary fight. Damn right, democrats are the misogynists. 

AllahPundit, Dr. Oz goes there: If Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable, maybe he wouldn't have had that stroke, "I assumed Oz wouldn’t start taking overt digs at John Fetterman for having had a stroke until October. But the polling is grim. There’s no time to lose."

Bulwark girlz Joshua Taint, thinks he sees The Problem With Right-Wing ‘Regime’ Talk, "What the new paranoid buzzword reveals about the New Right. . .  Close observers of the American right will have noticed that similar “Regime” talk was already bubbling around before the FBI search.  " But then, just try googling "Trump regime" or "Bush regime" to discover both sides use it with abandon. Speaking of such hypocrisy, Elle Reynolds at Da Fed notes Leftists Smearing Vote Integrity Advocates As ‘Election Deniers’ Rejected A Few Elections Themselves (via the Wombat's In The Mailbox: 08.23.22.) Also at Da Fed, Emily Jashisnksy reports TikTok’s New ‘Elections Center’ Is A Massive Threat To National Security. China is asshole.