No matter how much that the fake news media spins it otherwise – who you gonna believe? us our your own lying eyes and ears – the ballyhooed descent from the heavens of Robert Mueller was an unmitigated catastrophe for the cult of impeachment.
Democrats may be clamoring for a do-over on the sweeping Mueller investigation and following this the early session of Wednesday’s testimony, they probably wish that they had a do-over on that as well.
In what already has all the makings of a dumpster fire for Democrats, the former special counsel showed up today only to reveal that once the curtain had been pulled back on the legal wizard, that he was a doddering, befuddled old man.
The septuagenarian Mueller wasn’t up for the occasion and whenever he was not nourished by the rehearsed Democrat talking points and softball questions, he quickly found himself overmatched and flustered.
Republicans were loaded for bear for the morning session of the hearings and while there were many bludgeonings of Mueller whose top response was “not within my purview,” few were as blistering as the five minutes of time for Florida Republican Matt Gaetz.
Gaetz pummelled the hapless ex-FBI boss by focusing on the discredited dirty dossier from oppo research firm Fusion GPS and scummy British spook Christopher Steele.
CHECK IT OUT:
Gaetz: "Can you state with confidence the Steele dossier was not part of Russia's disinformation campaign?"
Mueller: "With regard to Steele…that's beyond my purview."
Gaetz: "It's exactly your purview! The organizing principle was to fully investigate Russia's interference!" pic.twitter.com/z5E5Gl7xZU
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) July 24, 2019
Here’s the transcript:
GAETZ: Director Mueller, can you state with confidence that the Steele dossier was not part of Russia’s disinformation campaign?
MUELLER: As I said in my opening statement, that part of the case predated me by at least 10 months.
GAETZ: Paul Manafort’s alleged crimes regarding tax evasion preceded you but you didn’t have a problem charging him.
When senator Cornyn asked the Attorney general the exact question I asked you the Attorney general said no, I can’t state that with confidence.
And that’s one of the areas I’m reviewing. I’m concerned about it and I don’t think it’s entirely speculative. If something is not entirely speculative it must have some factual basis but you identify no factual basis regarding the dossier or the possibility that it was part of the Russia disinformation campaign.
Christopher Steele’s reporting is referenced in your report. Steele reported to the F.B.I. That senior Russian foreign ministry figures along with other Russians told him that there was an — I’m quoting from the Steele dossier extensive evidence of a conspiracy between the Trump campaign team and The Kremlin.
Here is my question. Did Russians really tell that to Christopher Steele or was he lying to the F.B.I.?
MUELLER: Let me back up and say as I said earlier, with regard to the Steele, that’s beyond my purview.
GAETZ: It is exactly your purview and here is why. Only one of two things is possible. Either Steele made this whole thing up and there were never Russians telling him of this vast criminal conspiracy or Russians lied to Steele.
If they were lying to Steele in undermining the confidence in the elected president that would be precisely your purview.
You stated in your opening the organizing principle was to investigate Russia’s interference. You weren’t interested whether or not Russians were interested through Steele.
If he was lying you should have charged him. You say nothing about this in your report. Meanwhile, you are quite talking about other topics.
You write 3500 words about the June 9 meeting between the Trump campaign and the Russian lawyer. You write on page 103 of your report that the president’s legal team suggested I’m quoting from your report the meeting might have been a setup.
By individuals working with the firm that produced the Steele reporting. I’m going to ask you a very easy question, director Mueller.
On the week of June 9, who did Russian lawyer meet with more frequently, the Trump campaign or Glenn Simpson who was acting as an operative for the democratic national committee?
MUELLER: What’s missing. This is under investigation elsewhere in the Justice Department and if I can finish, sir, if I can finish, sir, consequently it is not within my purview. The department of justice and F.B.I. Should be responsive to questions on this particular issue.
GAETZ: It is absurd to suggest that an operative for the Democrats was meeting with this Russian lawyer the day before and the day after the Trump Tower meeting and yet that’s not something you reference.
Glenn Simpson testified he had dinner the day before and the day after the meeting with the Trump team with this attorney. Do you think Steele was lying?
MUELLER: I’ll say again it is not my others are investigating.
GAETZ: It is not your purview to look into whether or not Steele is lying or anti-Trump Russians are lying and to look at whether or not Glenn Simpson was meeting with the Russians the day before or after when you write about the Trump meeting? How are these decisions guided?
I look at the inspector general’s report citing from page 404 stating page stated Trump is not ever going to be president, right?
Right. Strzok replied no, he is not. We’ll stop it. Also in the inspector general’s report someone identified as attorney number two, this is page 419 replied Hell no and then added viva la resistance. Attorney two in the inspector general’s report and Strzok both worked on your team, didn’t they?
MUELLER: Pardon me?
GAETZ: They both worked on your team.
MUELLER: Who else were you talking about?
GAETZ: Attorney number two in the general’s report. Did he work for you?
MUELLER: Peter Strzok worked for me for a period of time, yes.
GAETZ: So did the other guy who said viva ja la resistance. When people associated with Trump lied you threw the book at them.
When Christopher Steele lied nothing. It seems to be that when Glenn Simpson met with Russians, nothing. When the Trump campaign met with Russians 3500 words.
Maybe the reason why there are these discrepancies is that you were biased and wanted to stop Trump.
How bad was it? Even MSNBC is bemoaning how bad that Mueller’s appearance has turned out
MSNBC’s Jeremy Bash complains Special Counsel Robert Mueller “sucked the life out” of the Russia report and seriously “set back” efforts to impeach Trump
Bash says Mueller was "evasive," "lost at times," "very ineffective defense of his own work" pic.twitter.com/uZ3tz6Mqtt
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) July 24, 2019
Maybe the Russians just slipped him something – exclusive details tonight on The Rachel Maddow Show.
What an epic dumpster fire for the Democrats!
